Jak and Daxter: Living in Sin
by EcoSeeker247
Summary: For Paige, life has always been about the straight and narrow path. But all that is about to change when she is pulled into Jak II on her first playthrough and forced into a compromising situation with seemingly no way out. Breaking Free Trilogy Book 1.
1. Nature's Call

All right! So I've been wanting to write a story like this for a while, and now that I've finished some of my other stories, I thought I'd get started on it! Yes, this is a "sucked into Jak 2" story, but I promise it'll be different. No "girl magically growing long ears, getting put in the Dark Warrior Program, falling in love with Jak, or gaining Dark Powers". Yeah, none of that, although I've read some stories like this that have turned out to be good. I want to try and prove that these type of stories can be more than just a shameless self-insert. With that in mind, I hope you enjoy this first chapter! Reviews are always appreciated, whether they be praise or constructive criticism (but no flames!).

**DISCLAIMER: **Only my OCs are mine. Everyone else belongs to Naughty Dog.

_Italics- _Announcements

* * *

If there was one thing I was not expecting after school one day, it was getting swept up into a completely random adventure.

Me? I wasn't one to seek adventure. I preferred to keep to myself. But little did I know that one small event in my otherwise ordinary day would end up changing the course of my life.

It all started when my friends invited me to go to a party with them that weekend. I was surprised they still attempted to ask me at that point; I had said no every single time.

"But Paige!" my best friend, Anna, replied when I had declined, "It'll be fun! You don't know what you're missing out on!"

"Sorry, Anna," I apologized, "But I just get uncomfortable at those sort of events. You know…with drinking and partying and stuff."

"You've never even _been _to a party!" Anna pointed out, "How can you say that?"

I hesitated in answering. "Umm…" I began, but she cut me off.

"That's what I thought," Anna quipped, "But seriously, you should consider it this time."

I sighed. "All right," I decided, nodding, "I'll think it over today and let you know this evening."

"All right!" Anna cheered, "I'll be waiting for your call!" And before I could say anything else, she was already taking off down the hallway. Sighing again, I closed my locker and began the long walk home. I wasn't going to go to this party if it was the last thing I did. I just didn't like feeling so awkward around everyone.

I had to admit I _was _curious about that part of life, but I would never tell anyone that. For now, I would just keep to myself. I had my reasons for doing so that not even Anna knew, and that was a big deal; I usually told her everything.

As soon as I got home, I found my living room in chaos. "What the hell?" I muttered to myself as I watched my two little sisters run around with a videogame in their hands, "What's going on?"

"Tracy won't give me Jak 2!" my fourteen-year-old sister, Alana, whined as twelve-year-old Tracy hogged the game.

"You had your turn with it!" Tracy reasoned, "Now, it's my turn!"

"No, it's mine!"

"It's _mine!_"

"STOP!" I hollered, clapping my hands together, and both of them turned to face me.

"Give me the game," I said, holding one of my hands out, "And I'll decide who gets to play it now."

"Oh, you're no fun, Paige!" Tracy whined, "You never are!"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You never want to do anything with us! You just want to scold us like Mom does! I thought older sisters were supposed to be _fun!_"

I frowned for a minute. I wasn't going to listen to this. "I don't have time for this," I told them, "I'm keeping the game for now until I can decide who earns it."

"Paige!" both of them cried, but I continued to walk away. I felt bad, but I also couldn't believe they thought that about me! Their own sister!

_What is the big deal with this game, anyway? _I asked myself as I shut the door to my bedroom and studied the front cover. The blond boy, Jak, looked like a bad boy, with a gun in his hands and a frown on his face. Strike one already.

I glanced over at the Playstation 2 hooked up to my television, and I shook my head. I liked to play videogames every now and then, but the _Jak and Daxter _series had just never appealed to me until now. Maybe I would just play for a little bit and then stop. Enough to get my mind off of other matters at hand.

However, something began to feel strange. Just after I made my way through the opening screen, I clicked on "New Game", and after that, everything began to fade to black around me.

* * *

When I finally felt myself come around a while later, I instantly knew something was wrong.

The first thing I noticed when I woke up were a bunch of tall trees surrounding me on all sides. "What the hell?" I muttered to myself, "Where am I?" I definitely wasn't in Kansas anymore, that was for sure. Everything was quiet around me, save for the sound of a waterfall in the corner, as well as birds singing in the early morning. I figured it was early morning.

This forest wasn't like any other forest I had seen, and despite the fact that I was confused as hell, I still loved this place. I had to find out more about it, as well as how I ended up here in the first place.

Suddenly, I heard a soft rustling in the bushes behind me. Pausing for a minute, I frowned as I slowly turned my head to glance behind me. As soon as I did, the rustling stopped. _Hmm, _I thought, _It was probably nothing._

However, when I took another step, I heard the rustling again, and I stopped and clenched my fist as my heart began to pound in my chest. It was definitely not my imagination. Something was in those bushes. But what?

This was probably going to be a stupid idea, but I decided to slowly approach the bushes, making sure that whatever was there turned out to be nothing.

Advancing cautiously, I reached a hand out, and as soon as I gently pushed away some of the leaves, I suddenly felt a searing pain across my chest.

"Ouch!" I gasped, leaping backwards and falling to the ground just as something flew above my head. What the hell was that?

_Grrr! _Glancing up again, I gasped at the sight in front of me: a reptilian-type monster with metal armor, a yellow skull gem in the middle of its head, and a Beam Weapon in its hands. What _was _that thing? It was so hideous!

Whatever it was, it wasn't friendly, and I was quick to realize that as soon as it started charging towards me again with the Beam Weapon. "Holy crap!" I cried as I backed up and began to run away, for in that moment, more of those creatures began to pop out of the bushes. There was no way I was going to be able to outrun these monsters. There were too many of them!

Tripping and falling over myself, I glanced around back and forth for any possible escape route, and was surprised when there wasn't one in sight. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see another beam sail right next to me and barely graze my hip. I had already taken quite a bit of damage, and I didn't need any more. I had to find out what was going on around here if it was the last thing I did.

Fortunately, I managed to spot a platform right in front of me, and not wasting any time, I scrambled onto it just as one of those metal creatures swiped at my foot. As the platform began to float away, I watched as the monsters stopped and stared at me. One even fell into the abyss below me.

_Whew, _I thought, wiping my forehead, _That was close._ Now that I was safe again, I looked ahead of me as I floated back up to another platform, where the entrance to a temple was situated to my left. I briefly wondered what was there, but upon noticing the platform sliding back and forth in front of it, I knew that was a no go. I sighed wistfully to myself. Why couldn't _anything _go right today?

I continued to walk, and as soon as I reached the edge of the cliff in front of me, I gasped at the view. My God! It was amazing! Over in the horizon was a large city, where there would, without a doubt, be someone who could help me. But how would I get over there?

Looking to my left, I spotted a circular gate in front of me. I guessed I would have to jump through that, though I didn't know where it would take me. After quickly checking to make sure nobody was watching, I jumped through the gate, feeling lightheaded as I did so.

When I arrived on the other side, I had to hold on to the tree next to the other gate for a minute as I closed and opened my eyes repeatedly. Now it was time to start getting answers.

In front of me, the large gate opened with a squeal and a hiss, and once I was on the other side, I watched as the second gate opened.

"_Reentering Haven City,_" a robotic, female voice announced, and I flinched for a minute, as I wasn't expecting that. Haven City? This was Haven City? Where exactly was Haven City located?

As I slowly descended down the ramp, I continued to look around at the gardens around me. It was a beautiful day, and the temperatures were not too warm or too cold, but right in the middle. Comfortable.

People were strolling back and forth on the small paths, and as I walked by, everyone began to give me funny stares. Why were they looking at me like that?

The first thing I noticed about everyone around me was that they all had long, elf-like ears that stuck out like a sore thumb. Out of instinct, as well as a feeling of dread creep through my stomach, I reached up and patted my ears…only to realize that they were still the same as they were in my world. And that was when I realized exactly what had happened.

"AHHHHHH!" I screamed, eliciting startled stares from the Havenites around me as I collapsed to the ground and curled up in the cool grass.

* * *

_**A little while later…**_

This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening! I _couldn't _have gotten pulled into _Jak 2._ It was impossible!

_No, no, no, _I thought. By now, everyone was crowding around me as I cradled myself on the grass and tried to stop myself from hyperventilating. "Miss?" one of them asked, but I continued to take deep breaths as I fanned myself.

"Who is she?" one of them asked.

"What's up with her ears?" another questioned.

There it went again; my insecurity about my ears suddenly returned, and I closed my eyes again.

"This is just a dream," I muttered to myself, "This is only a dream, and then I'll wake up." I screamed again and more people crowded around me as they noticed my significantly shorter ears.

"What's going on here?" another, unfamiliar voice began out of nowhere, and when I took a break from my panic attack, I looked up to see a few men in red jumpsuits approaching me, their boots clicking on the pavement and their rather scary-looking guns gleaming in the sunlight. I gulped at the sight. This must have been the police force of Haven City.

"Who are you?" one of the guards asked, "Why are you causing a commotion?"

Leaping up from the ground, I began to stammer as I spoke. I had never been questioned by the police, and that was one of my biggest fears. "I don't know how I got here!" I explained, "I woke up in the forest this morning, and then I ended up here when I came through that gate! Please! Can you help me? I don't know what to do!"

The two guards glanced at each other, and when they didn't move forward to help me, I began to get the feeling that something was wrong.

I watched as they moved forward, whipped out a pair of handcuffs, and slapped them across my wrists.

"Whoa, wait a minute!" I protested, "What are you doing?"

"You're under arrest for breaching the city's gates!" they announced, hauling me away, "By order of Baron Praxis."

"Wait!" I hollered, "Who's Baron Praxis?"

But my protests fell on deaf ears as I found myself being thrown into the back of a cruiser. What an entrance into a game that I didn't know how to play.


	2. Prison Cell

All right! Here's the next chapter of "Jak and Daxter: Living in Sin"! I've decided to change the title 'cause I think it's much catchier than "The Kansas Factor". I'm not only going to write from Paige's POV, but also from other canon character's POVs as well. Enjoy! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **Only Paige and General Lloyd are mine. Everyone else belongs to Naughty Dog.

_Italics- _Jak's POV

* * *

Wow, was this embarrassing or what?

I was only stuck in _Jak II _for a few minutes and I was already being arrested! Mom would have killed me if she ever found out about this, even though it wasn't my fault in the slightest. I didn't know that I wasn't allowed beyond the gates.

"Listen," I stammered to the guards sitting with me in the back of what they called a "Hellcat Cruiser", "I'm new to the city and didn't know about the gate. Can you let me go, please?" I batted my eyes innocently as well, hoping that these guards would take pity on me and release me.

"Sorry," the guard to my right apologized insincerely, "But orders are orders. If the Baron passes a law that citizens aren't allowed outside the city, then that applies to everyone. Even foreigners."

I sighed and wiped some sweat off my forehead. It was getting awfully hot in this cruiser.

"Do you arrest all foreigners?" I asked, "Or only me?"

"We arrest anyone who's a lawbreaker."

"But I'm a good girl!" I protested, "I follow all the rules! I'm not a lawbreaker!"

The other guard laughed heartily. "You are now," he said, and I glared at him. I wouldn't dignify his sentence with a response.

A little while later, the Hellcat suddenly came to a stop, and I had to regain myself before the two guards next to me grabbed me by the arms and dragged me out onto the street again.

"Come on!" I pleaded one last time, "Let me go!"

"Not until you answer for your crime," the guards retorted, "And your…unusual appearance."

There we were, back to the ears once again. I patted my ears for a second time and sighed irritably. How could I explain that this was all a videogame? Nobody would believe me if I tried to explain, and anyone who listened would think I was crazy. Therefore, I decided I wouldn't say anything.

I remained silent as the two guards hauled me into the large, red building in front of me, which they called the Fortress. The first sound I heard upon entering the Fortress was the sound of someone screaming, and I gasped in horror. What the hell was going on around here?

"This way!" the guards snapped, dragging me along as I fought against the handcuffs fastened around my wrists. Prison cells surrounded me on all sides, and other guards in the same red uniform sauntered past us, staring at me in the same manner the citizens in the Gardens had stared. I felt my self-esteem take a hit in that moment. No surprises there, huh?

After pacing slowly down a few hallways, we finally turned into another office-type room, where a name was inscribed on the door. "Commander Erol," I whispered to myself as I read the inscription.

"Commander?" one of the guards arresting me asked, knocking on the door, "Commander?"

Suddenly, a voice to our right pulled us out of our thoughts. "Have you forgotten, General Lloyd?" the deep voice asked in a short tone of voice.

We all tore our glances away from the Commander's office, and the man standing there made me widen my eyes in surprise. He was a large man, with a red cape, metal boots, and a metal helmet on his head and covering the right side of his face.

"Forgotten, Baron Praxis?" General Lloyd stammered, "Forgotten what?" So _that _man was Baron Praxis!

"The Commander is out arresting that boy," Baron Praxis explained, narrowing his eyes until Lloyd remembered. _Boy? _I asked myself, _What boy? _

"Oh!" the General gasped, "Right! I almost forgot!"

"This is big news for Haven City," Praxis continued in that same, intimidating voice, "Don't forget something like that again."

"O-of course not!" Lloyd replied, and I glanced from him to Praxis just as the latter shifted his gaze to me. For a minute, there was silence as I stared up at him and he looked me over, especially at my ears. I knew it was rude to stare, but I couldn't help myself. I had never seen anybody like him before.

"General," Praxis began again, "Who is this?"

The other guard spoke up this time. "We found her in the Gardens, sir," he explained sheepishly, "She…breached the gates!"

Praxis narrowed his eyes as he flicked his gaze back to me again. "_Did _you?" he asked, "What's your name? And why are your ears so short?" I gulped, but didn't answer.

"What's your name?" he repeated in a more demanding voice, and Lloyd nudged me in the shoulder.

"You better answer him," he warned, "Or else your punishment's only going to get worse."

I sighed and tried to keep the tremor out of my voice. "Smith," I replied, "Paige Smith. And I didn't breach the gates! I had no idea that wasn't allowed! Please! Tell your men to let me go! I promise I won't do it again!"

"What were you doing beyond the city walls?" Praxis asked.

"I don't know!" I reasoned, "I was just there, okay?"

"Guards, put Miss Smith in a holding cell for now until the Commander returns with the boy. I will figure out her punishment then," Praxis ordered, and with a sweep of his cape, he was gone, striding confidently down the hallway.

"Come on, let's go!" Lloyd snapped, "Before any of us get into even more trouble!"

* * *

Damn, this just wasn't my day, was it?

As soon as Lloyd and his partner locked me in one of the cells we had passed, I began to pound on the door as they walked away. "No!" I yelled, "You can't leave me in here! I don't even know what's going on!" After pounding the locked door one more time, I slumped to the ground and stared dejectedly at my lap, twiddling my fingers as I thought about what to do next. I was beginning to hate this game more and more as time passed by. Why did my sisters love it so much? So far, all I saw were strict police officers and a ruler with a seemingly iron fist. How was I going to get out of here? More importantly, how was I going to get out of the game _period_?

Suddenly, I heard a door open and slam in the distance, and I stopped hyperventilating enough to be able to catch a glimpse of some of the action. Standing up again, I peered through the small window on my cell door, and a group of guards (which I had learned was called the Krimzon Guard) passed by me. One in particular caught my eye: a guard in a blue and yellow jumpsuit that stood out from the rest of the KG. He looked to be a couple of inches taller than me, and he had bright, orange-red hair that was mostly covered by a mask that was flipped up. Behind him were a squadron of Krimzon Guards, where two of them were carrying something in their hands. Or rather, _someone._ Was that the boy Praxis was referring to before? If so, then the man in the jumpsuit had to be…

"Commander Erol," I whispered under my breath, but apparently loud enough for Erol to hear. I watched as he stopped for a minute, and I backed up against the wall so that he wouldn't see me. I didn't even know him, yet I was afraid of him at the same time. To calm myself down, I glanced at the boy in the guards' arms, and it occurred to me that I had seen him before. I took in the unkempt blond hair and round face, and I gasped again as I realized where I had seen him before landing here. _That must be Jak, _I deduced, _Damn, he looks so different here._

"Here's the boy, Baron Praxis," Erol announced, "Just like you asked."

"Excellent work, Commander," Praxis complimented, "Excellent work! We will begin testing in the morning. He is our only hope for winning this war." There was silence for a minute before the Baron continued.

"I see a raise in your future, Commander," he said, and Erol gloated.

Following that small conversation, I listened as a door opened next to me and then slammed shut, and I assumed that Jak was being thrown in the cell next to me. I closed my eyes and winced. I still couldn't believe I had managed to get into trouble! If only my friends could see me now.

With a creaking noise, my cell door began to open, and a few people entered the cramped space as I cowered against the wall in a fetal position. "There is also the matter of this girl," Praxis was saying as he approached me, "She was found violating Code 497." He moved aside to reveal Erol, and my heart zoomed up to my throat. Why was I so afraid?

"Her name is Paige Smith," Praxis continued, introducing me before I could get the chance to explain myself, "And she's obviously not from around here. Just look at her ears."

"Do you think she was with the boy when he showed up here? And she just landed somewhere different?"

"I don't think so. There's something strange about her that I can't put my finger on."

That was it. I was going to regret this, but this was a problem that I had had since I was little, especially whenever I was frustrated. "God damn it!" I snapped, "Enough with my ears already!" Horrified, I covered my mouth. I had just talked back to two higher officials! I was so getting in even more trouble for that, which was something I didn't need right now. _Smooth move, Paige, _I chided myself.

"Outspoken as well, Miss Smith?" Praxis asked, "You've just made your punishment worse: execution."

"No!" I yelled, "You can't do that! I didn't know about that rule! I'm sorry I breached the gates! I won't do it again! I swear!" I flicked my gaze to Erol, hoping that maybe somewhere in that attractive face, there was a trace of compassion, but he seemed just as cold as the Baron.

"You cannot plead your way out of this one, Miss Smith," Praxis replied, "You broke the law, and you will be given the same punishment as everyone else." I closed my eyes and pounded the floor again. Execution! Was the Baron out of his mind? What the hell was going on around here? Was it that serious that I needed to lose my life over it?

"Let's go, Commander," Praxis commanded, "We have an execution date to set and a boy to research." Sweeping his cape again, he exited the cell, and after looking me up and down silently, Erol did the same. As soon as they were both gone, I buried my face into my hands and began to cry.

* * *

_**Hours later…**_

The sound of a door opening forced me to open my eyes tiredly. As I rubbed some sleep out of my eyes, I realized I must have fallen asleep after my crying jag earlier. I felt a little better, but only a little bit.

"Paige?" a familiar voice asked, and I felt myself freeze where I was.

"Who's there?" I choked, "I'm not ready to die yet."

The same voice chuckled. "Who said anything about executing you?" it asked, and I turned around as Commander Erol sat on the bunk across from me.

"You and the Baron did earlier," I pointed out, flipping onto my side so that I could face him properly, "Just tell me what day I'm going to be executed and get it over with."

Erol shook his head. "We've decided to give you a reprieve," he announced.

At that, I felt the heaviness in my heart disappear. "A reprieve?" I echoed, "Really?"

"Yes."

I then narrowed my eyes in suspicion. "What's the catch?" I asked, "There's a catch, isn't there?"

Erol smirked. "Smart girl you are, Paige," he complimented, "Of course there's a catch: we won't execute you if you answer a few questions for us."

I sat up completely now. "What kind of questions?" I questioned.

"Like where you got your ears from. They're very…_different_." His eyes flickered for a minute, and my heart skipped a beat. I tried my best to hide how nervous I was.

I sighed. I _knew _that was going to be one of the questions. "Where I come from," I began, "We're all born with short ears."

"And where would that be?"

"Nowhere near this hellhole, that's for sure," I couldn't help but reply.

"What are you doing here, then?" the Commander asked pointedly, "And why were you outside the city walls?" I frowned, but refused to answer for the umpteenth time. He wouldn't listen to me anyway.

"I'm not the Baron, Paige," he said, "You can trust me."

Now I faced him. "Look, Commander," I started, but he cut me off.

"Erol," he said, holding a hand up.

I took another deep breath. "All right, then, Erol," I corrected myself, "I don't know how I got here. I've never broken a rule in my life! I'm usually good with that kind of stuff. I don't know what happened now!" The longer I continued to talk, the more I began to feel foolish, and the small smirk that was plastered across Erol's face grew larger.

Suddenly, the door to the cell opened, and I heard loud footsteps as I hid my face in embarrassment. "So, Commander," Baron Praxis began in his authoritative voice, "Have you gotten any concrete answers out of her?"

I looked up again in horror, realizing exactly what had happened. "You tricked me!" I gasped, pointing at the redhead across from me.

"Sorry, Paige," Erol laughed triumphantly, "But it was too easy."

I felt my face turn red with fury. God, was I _that _easy to manipulate? I would have to worry about it later.

"I've thought of another punishment for your crime, Miss Smith," Praxis announced, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he and the Commander smirked, "How experienced are you with working in a hospital?"

* * *

_Everything around me was blurry as I slowly opened my eyes. I noticed then that I was in a prison cell with high walls and a locked door in front of me. I tried to scream and get out, but I couldn't. I opened my mouth in fury and wanted to scream desperately, but I knew nobody would hear me, least of all Daxter, Keira, and Samos. _

_Where were they now? Were they still even alive? And if they were, were they looking for me as I sat here? I curled up into a tight ball and stayed like that for the rest of the night as I wept silent tears. _

_What would happen to me in the morning? What did they mean they had been waiting for me? What was so special about me that I had to be ripped away from my own home and placed in this hell? For the first time in my life, I prayed. I prayed that I would get out of this situation alive, and hoped that there would be a light at the end of the tunnel. _


	3. The Punishment and a Message

Wow! It's been so long since I updated this, but here's the next chapter! Thanks to those of you who have favorited, reviewed, and alerted this story! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **Only Paige and Eileen are mine. Everyone else belongs to Naughty Dog.

_**

* * *

**_

_**One week later…**_

"Ouch!" I gasped as I accidentally pricked myself with one of the sterilized needles next to me. Sighing, I picked it up and threw it back into the bin filled with alcohol as I was forced to sterilize it _again._

"Are you all right, Paige?" one of the nurses, Nurse Eileen Peterson asked with concern as she set up an IV to take to one of the nearby beds.

"Yeah, I'm _fine_," I growled, holding up my finger, which was starting to bleed again, "I just pricked myself." I balled my hand into a fist and closed my eyes for a minute as I thought about the last week.

As soon as Praxis had asked if I had had any experience working in a hospital, I knew what he was going to decide: that he would give me a stay of execution as long as I obeyed his and Erol's commands. As long as I complied with them, I could stay in the Fortress and help out around the hospital. If I slipped up, however…I didn't want to think about it. Well, I was a good girl, anyway: I would follow all the rules.

"Here, let me get you some Green Eco for that," Eileen suggested, but I shook my head vigorously.

"That's okay," I declined, "Thanks, though."

Green Eco. _That _had been something else I remembered my sisters vaguely talking about, but seeing as how I had never played _Jak and Daxter _before, I realized there were a lot of terms I would have to learn, Eco being one of them. I couldn't just come out and _ask _what Green Eco was, though, so I was forced to sit back and learn from observation. Eventually, I figured out that it was a healing substance, so therefore, by the time this minor mishap took place, I was well-informed about Green Eco. I would have to learn about the other types, though.

Eileen had taken a long time to get used to my short ears, but luckily, she didn't ask _too _many questions, though I knew she would eventually. I waited for that day.

"So, I hear the Baron and the Commander hauled some kid in last week," Eileen announced as we both went to check up on some of the other patients, "I wonder why."

I shrugged. I knew she was talking about Jak, but I wondered what was happening to him as well. We had both been arrested at the same time, and I hadn't seen him since that day. I hoped he was all right. "Maybe he _breached the city's gates_," I replied in a low voice, imitating the Krimzon Guards that had hauled me in.

"Is that why you were arrested?" Eileen asked, raising an eyebrow in concern.

I nodded. "I didn't even know I _was _breaking a law when I came from the forest," I explained.

"Haven Forest," Eileen replied as we finished setting everything up, "How'd you end up there?"

"I have no idea. I just woke up there last week. Maybe I can figure it out the longer I'm here." I shook my head.

"So we're part of the Krimzon Guard, too?" I asked.

"Yes," Eileen confirmed, "We're the medical division. And the guards you met are the ones that actually take care of business outside the Fortress."

"Why are they so mean?"

Eileen blushed and looked away. "I really shouldn't say," she mumbled, but I walked over to her and stood in front of her.

"You can tell me," I insisted, "I won't tell anyone else."

"Well, Baron Praxis can be a little pushy sometimes, and he wants the KG to take care of everything efficiently. But not everyone agrees with him. The former KG Commander didn't."

"Erol wasn't always the Commander?" I asked, surprised, "Then who was it before him?"

"Why are you two just talking instead of working?" another voice suddenly interrupted, and Eileen and I both whirled around to see Erol entering the medical ward.

Erol. I didn't know what to make of him. One minute, he was suave, calm, and collected, and the next minute…he was intimidating. Authoritative.

"Sorry, Commander," Eileen apologized, "We'll get back to work right away."

"Of course you will," Erol replied, smirking before turning to me as I squeezed a packet of Green Eco in my hands.

"And you?" he asked.

"Fine," was all I said, "This is better than facing a firing squad, that's for sure." I exhaled as the Commander chuckled.

"Well, I'm glad you're taking your punishment well." He then dropped the smirk and was all business again.

"I've asked some of the other nurses to cover for you two for the rest of your shift," he announced, "Whatever syringes you've been filling with Green Eco, stop. Use Dark Eco instead."

_Dark Eco? _I thought in confusion, _What's Dark Eco? _

Next to me, Eileen paled for a minute, which made me realize that it must have been something bad. Not all Ecos were good, I guessed. "D-Dark Eco, sir?" she inquired.

"Yes, you heard me correctly, Miss Peterson," the Commander replied, "I need two vials of it on the double."

Christ. _Two _vials of Dark Eco? What could he need them for?

"What for?" she asked.

"That is classified information."

I sighed. Of course it was. And who was I to question the Commander?

"Get the vials to me within the next fifteen minutes," he ordered, sweeping his gaze over both of us as he turned and walked out of the room.

"I guess we'd better get started," Eileen sighed, "What could he want with two vials of Dark Eco? Does he know how dangerous it is?"

I didn't say a word as I helped her out. "Where are we going to just get Dark Eco?" I asked, "From a convenience store?"

"There are special labs where we keep it. Just follow me. Oh, and put this on." She handed me what looked like a radiation suit. _Gosh, _I thought, _It's that dangerous? _

Gulping, I followed Eileen to the lab she was referring to, and I held my breath as she handed me some thick gloves as well. After slipping on the suit and gloves, I opened a certain refrigerator, and Eileen carefully reached inside and took out a large jar with a "CAUTION" label on it, and inside, I could see a purple and black liquid moving back and forth and glowing a little bit. That was it. That was the Dark Eco. I found myself gasping and leaping backwards as a little bit spilled over the top and got on my gloves.

"Careful, Paige!" Eileen warned me, "Here, use these syringes to take out two vials. I'll hold the jar in place." She set it on the table in front of us, and I slowly emptied out the two syringes filled with Green Eco, cleaned them, and then put Dark Eco in them instead. Once that was finished, we put everything away and retraced our steps back to the level above us, where Erol was waiting. I handed over the syringes without question.

* * *

_**A little while later… **_

"I wonder what they're doing with the Dark Eco we gave them," I asked as Eileen and I returned to putting together other medical machines.

Eileen shrugged. Then, she looked down at her watch and gasped. "Oh, _damn it_!" she cursed, "I've got to go!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Go?" I echoed.

"Yeah! My shift ended about an hour ago! I guess I got caught up with getting the Dark Eco for the Commander that I lost track of the time!"

I wondered why she was suddenly getting so hyper, so I tried to calm her down. "It's okay, Eileen!" I replied, "I'm sure they'll understand that you have to leave. I'm getting out of here, too, after the next two hours."

But something seemed strange about Nurse Peterson's sudden anxiety, and I couldn't place my finger on it.

"I hope so," she responded, "Bye, Paige. I'll see you tomorrow!" And with that, she was out before I could say anything else. _Yeah, something's fishy about that, _I thought to myself, _But what? _

I sighed as I began to play with the flower in my hair, adjusting and readjusting it until it was back to its original position. I couldn't help it; I didn't have anything to do at the moment, and I got anxious fast, especially in the Fortress. That was when I decided I need some breathing space as well. Getting up from my chair, I exited the medical wing and eventually managed to find my way out of the Fortress. I hadn't really been in Haven City since last week, so I was anxious to try and figure out some of the locations.

The whole time I was out, I pulled a hood over my head; I didn't want anyone seeing my ears, as I knew I would get even stranger looks than I already did. With my face covered, the first place I decided to walk around in was the place I had arrived in last week: the Garden Section.

The evening was a warm one, and the citizens around me seemed to be enjoying it. I was happy for them; the first time I walked the streets, they all appeared to be miserable. After spending a week in the Fortress, I couldn't blame them. The Fortress was a miserable place, too.

When I saw that I had reached a dead end by the gate leading to Haven Forest, I turned around and walked back into the square behind me, which I learned was called the Bazaar. I loved it! There were all sorts of stores, cafés, fruit stands, you name it!

In the middle of all this was a mysterious-looking tent, but before I could go inside to have a look, someone suddenly shouted at me.

"Join the Underground!" the voice shouted, "Fight the tyranny!" I pulled my hood up even more and kept walking.

"You! Miss!" the voice cried again, and this time, I turned around, making sure my ears were hidden out of sight.

"You mean me?" I asked.

"Yes, you!" the young man insisted, "Help us in our war against Baron Praxis!"

"You're a rebel group?" I asked, "Why are you out in public, then?"

"I want everyone to hear what I have to say! And you can help us!"

I shook my head. "Sorry, but I'm with the Krimzon Guard," I replied in a short voice, "Medical division."

"The Underground can help you change that. You don't have to work under a dictator anymore."

I narrowed my eyes. "Yes, I do," I said in response, "And you better stop protesting like this or you'll be arrested. What you're doing is against the rules!" With that, I turned and hurried away.

As I ran further away from the rebel, I heard him shout after me, "You can't follow the rules all the time!" At that, I ran even faster.


	4. Getting Around

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story so far! :) Here's the next chapter! After this chapter, the events of the game are going to start, but I wanted to flesh out everything leading up to the start of _Jak II._ Enjoy! :D

**DISCLAIMER: **Only Paige and Eileen are mine. Everyone else belongs to Naughty Dog.

**Bold- **Erol's POV

_Italics- _Audio Transmissions

* * *

By the time I passed by the same, brown tent, from before, I came to one simple conclusion.

I was hopelessly lost.

The street signs were no help, either, since they were written in that same writing that had been on Erol's door. I squinted my eyes and even tilted my head to the side as I tried to read this lettering, too, but nothing came to mind. I remembered my sisters trying to get me to read this writing- Precursor script, they called it? I was sure that was what this was. The most I had been able to read was "Commander Erol" from a website they had pulled up for me in one of their "Precursor language classes". I rolled my eyes. That was one of the times I wished I had paid attention to one of their lessons. I would need someone to teach me the language. But who would be willing to do that for me?

I was so deep in thought that I barely noticed that I wasn't even in the Bazaar anymore, but a completely different section of the city instead. I gasped to myself. How long had I been wandering around aimlessly for? In this part, there were bridges over a river, and in the distance was a large, circular stadium. _Damn, _I thought to myself, _This city has everything, doesn't it?_

Just as I was getting ready to approach the Stadium, however, I suddenly felt my KG communicator vibrate in my pocket, which made me jump as I pulled it out with a shaky hand.

"_Where are you, Paige?_" Erol asked from the other end, "_I've been trying to reach you!_"

"Near a large Stadium!" I replied back, "Why?"

"_The Baron is requesting more Dark Eco. And with Peterson gone, you're the only other one. Get back here and refill two more syringes._"

_Whoa, relax, _I thought to myself, but I would never dare say that to his face. "_What are you doing outside the Fortress, anyway?_" the Commander asked before I could reply.

"My shift is over," I tried to explain to him, "I just wanted to see the city."

"_You can see the city later. Right now, the Baron is counting on me to get more Dark Eco, and I need you back here pronto._"

I gulped. "Fine," I decided, "I'll be back in ten." I hung up and began to try and find my way back to the Fortress in the least painful and confusing way possible. Somehow, I actually managed to make it back, where I immediately slipped into my radiation suit from before and extracted two vials of Dark Eco, just like before. _Why _did Eileen have to leave _now _out of all times?

"Here," was all I said in a timid voice as I handed the Dark Eco over to Erol, who was smiling as he accepted it from me.

"Thank you, Paige," he thanked me in a smooth voice, "You're such a good girl. We haven't had someone as obedient as you in a long time." I blushed.

"You're welcome," I mumbled, "It's what I do." Nodding, the Commander turned to walk away, and I decided that it wouldn't hurt to just ask one question. I had followed all the other rules without question, so this one time couldn't hurt. Right? Besides, I was curious about Dark Eco and wanted to see what it could do.

"If I may ask, Commander-I mean, Erol," I began as I quickly corrected myself in addressing him, "What do you need Dark Eco for?"

Erol raised his eyebrows for a minute before grinning again. "You've been a good girl for the last week, Paige," he answered calmly as he began to walk away again, "You wouldn't want to break that good streak now. Would you?"

I was sure my mouth was hanging open in shock as the redhead strode away before I could say anything else.

* * *

"**All right, Jak," Baron Praxis began, "We're going to pump a little bit more Dark Eco into your system today and see what happens." Jak closed his eyes and began to shiver. I hung back and let Baron Praxis do most of the work, and he watched as he sterilized needles and shoved one into both of Jak's arms and feet. Jak stared at me with pleading eyes. But I only smiled and waved at him, which made him all the more frantic. **

**"Ready?" Praxis said, "Initiate Dark Eco injection!" **

**In the next few minutes, both of us watched the Dark Eco travel through the transparent tubes and enter Jak's body. The boy writhed in agony in the chair, but was unable to break free due to his restraints. He gritted his teeth and tried to scream, but couldn't. "**_**Injection complete,**_**" a robotic voice announced as the machine powered down. Jak collapsed and breathed heavily. Tears of pain ran down the side of his face, and the Baron cautiously approached him. **

**"How do you feel?" he asked. Jak glared at him and bared his teeth. **

**"Can you move at all? Erol, unstrap him." I released the locks on Jak, and he suddenly stood up with a startling fury. He continued to breath heavily as he lifted his hands into the air and examined them. They were glowing a faint, purple color, which traveled throughout the rest of his body until he was completely lit. Other than that, nothing else seemed to be happening. **

**"I don't know, Baron Praxis," I mused, "Nothing seems to be happening so far. Do you think we failed?" **

**"Of course not! You know how long the effects of the test take to show themselves!" **

**"If you say so. Are there anymore tests you're going to perform today or should I bring Jak back to his cell?" **

**"I'm finished for the day. Bring him back tomorrow morning. We will resume the rests then." I nodded and led Jak back to his cell, but as I reached for him, he snapped at me like a wild animal. Nevertheless, he allowed me to take him back to his cell. **

**Once we arrived there and I pushed him inside, I said, "You were good today, Jak. The Baron and I are pleased with how it turned out." Jak glared at me and balled his hands into fists in response. **

**I smirked and pulled the door shut after promising Jak that I would be back to run more tests on him in the morning. "I feel optimistic about this war, Baron Praxis," I commented when I arrived at the Baron's office, "Now that we have a weapon to defeat the Metal Heads." **

**"Hopefully, he will be the key to ending this war," Praxis added, "Just as long as he begins to show some results." **

**"The Dark Eco better, because I've gotten word that there may be another Metal Head attack soon. Won't you **_**please **_**let me take my men out and fight them?" **

**Baron Praxis turned to me and gave me an incredulous look, which was to be expected after all this time. "I've told you before, Commander!" he reasoned, "You and your men wouldn't last five minutes in a battle with the Metal Heads." **

**"You don't know that! You haven't even given us a chance!" **

**"Do you remember what happened to me and my team?" **

**As I remembered the heavy blows Baron Praxis had taken in the Metal Head Nest, I instantly shut up. I nodded. **

**"I will not lose my Commander in the same fashion. I may have gotten out alive, but you might not. So, no. I want you here watching over the city." **

**"Yes, Baron Praxis. But I still want to fight one day." **

**"You want to fight too much, Erol," Praxis teased, "You should race every now and then to tame that part of yourself." I exhaled deeply. **

**"If there was a race going on right now," I replied, "Which there isn't." The two of us continued to contemplate the war as we looked out the window. **

**"So," Praxis spoke up again, "I've noticed that you've managed to get Miss Smith under control. You've done a fine job." **

**At the sound of Paige's name, I smirked to myself. "Controlling her is child's play," I retorted, "She's afraid of me. I can tell. She's like a dog. A naïve dog." **

**"As long as she remembers her place," Praxis reminded me, but I waved him off nonchalantly. **

**"Don't worry, Baron Praxis," I assured him, "You've got nothing to worry about. Paige will do everything I ask her to do. **_**Everything.**_**" **

**

* * *

**

After I finished using the ladies' room in the female Krimzon Guard shower room, I sighed as I glanced at myself in the mirror. I had only been here for a week, and already things were changing. If Erol and Praxis didn't need me for anything else, perhaps I could just leave and go out into the city again. After all, I _was _technically a Krimzon Guard, though not one in the actual force.

I must have had interesting luck or something, because as soon as I emerged into the Fortress hallways again, I ran into Erol. "Commander!" I gasped out of instinct, "I didn't see you there."

"Well, I'm here now," the redhead replied, and I frowned in response.

"Since you're my prisoner," he continued while I waited patiently, "You'll be under my watch at all times, but for now, you're finished for the night and will resume your job in the morning."

"So I can go out and look around the city for a little bit?" I asked with a little too much hope in my voice, which Erol picked up on.

"You catch on fast," he complimented, "But there's a catch." I sighed in defeat. There _always _was a catch.

I watched silently as he whipped out a high-tech looking bracelet from his pocket and wrapped it around my left wrist. "Wow," I whispered, studying the blinking lights, which Erol flicked off with the push of a button, "What's this for?"

"It's standard procedure for all the nurses," the Commander explained as I rotated my wrist back and forth, "It's to let us know where you are at all times so that we can call you back here on an emergency."

Something in the back of my mind told me that that wasn't entirely the reason for the bracelet, but I decided it was better not to question that, so I just shook my head. Then again, I noticed Eileen was wearing one earlier, too, so that probably was it.

"Thanks, Erol," I thanked him, waving and walking away.

"It was my pleasure," he replied, smiling again.

As I walked through the Stadium section again, I glanced down at the bracelet, where a few green lights were blinking on and off. I guessed that was a good thing.

I marveled at the futuristic architecture and the vehicles some of the citizens were driving. They were like nothing I'd ever seen before. I would have to figure out what those were as well.

Earlier, when Eileen and I had taken a lunch break, she had mentioned something about a place called the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon in the Port. It was apparently one of her favorite spots in town, and I wondered what it was all about. Hopefully, I could get a map of this city so that I could find my way there.

"Excuse me," a voice suddenly began as someone tapped me on the shoulder, "Are you lost?"

I whipped my head around at first, trying to figure out who was speaking to me. Just like before, I had my hood up because of my ears, but when I turned around, I saw a girl who was around my age standing in front of me. She looked like the other citizens, except she had blue-green hair, green eyes, and a small physique. She looked familiar from when I would catch glimpses of my sisters playing _Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy._ I shook my head.

"You could say that," I replied, scoffing, "I've only been here for a week and I still have no clue how to get around here."

"I know how you feel," the girl responded, "I'm from out of town, too. I arrived here last week, and I've been trying to find my family ever since."

I frowned in sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that," I apologized.

"It's okay," she said with a determined attitude, "I _know _they're still alive. I'll find them."

"Good luck with that," I told her, smiling as I brightened up at a sudden idea I got.

"Hey, would you know how to get to the Port by any chance?" I asked.

"I was just going there, too!" the girl cried, "To see if I can get any leads on my family."

"Want to go together?"

"It can't hurt." Grabbing my hand, she led me towards a parked vehicle…whatever it was called.

"I'm Keira, by the way," the girl introduced herself, "Keira Hagai."

_Keira! _I thought to myself, _I remember my sisters mentioning her before, but not a lot._ "Paige Smith," I replied, "It's nice to meet you, Keira." Keira smiled and then hopped into the driver's seat.

"Are we allowed to just take this…whatever it's called?" I asked, looking around for the Krimzon Guard.

"It's a Zoomer," Keira explained, starting the engine, "And it's part of public transportation. I…built one of my own back home."

Taking a deep breath, I climbed into the passenger's seat and looked around again. "Where's 'back home'?" I asked as Keira began to cruise through the streets.

Keira shook her head. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she said, "What about you? Are you from here?"

I chuckled and answered, "Not at all. You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Keira raised an eyebrow. "Try me," she challenged. I didn't say anything in response as she drove us to the Port. How did she know her way around here so well already? Did someone show her around? Did she manage to avoid being locked in a prison cell like I was?

"We're here!" Keira chirped, suddenly parking the Zoomer outside the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon, where flashing lights were situated right above the entrance.

"Already?" I asked in surprise, "Things move fast here, don't they?"

"It takes time to get used to," Keira told me, "You will, too."

I quickly checked my bracelet again, which was still flashing green. I sighed in relief. I wasn't needed for anything.

Following Keira, I entered the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon, where the instant smell of strong alcohol greeted my nose. Others were smoking in a particular corner of the room, forcing me to cover my nose and coughed. The Hip Hog _would _be a place like this. These types of environments made me uncomfortable, just like the bars at home.

But Keira didn't seem to be there to drink, which made me relieved. Instead, she led me over to the bar itself, where she addressed one of the barmaids. "Excuse me," she began, "I'm looking for someone named Krew?"

Krew? Who was Krew?

Rubbing my shoulders, I looked around to try and relieve myself of my uncomfortable feelings when I suddenly spotted someone very familiar to me. No, _two _people.

In a secluded corner of the Hip Hog, I saw Eileen talking with someone at a table, but she wasn't wearing her normal Krimzon Guard nurse's outfit. The man she was talking to also looked familiar, and I recognized him as the rebel who had accosted me in the Bazaar earlier. He had auburn-colored hair, blue eyes, and a curved knife in his pocket. He was part of the Underground, and as I continued to watch Eileen talk to him in a hushed voice, I suddenly made a connection: Eileen must have been part of the Underground, too! No wonder she was acting strange earlier!

"May I help you two ladies?" an accented-voice greeted, followed by a bout of bad breath, and turning my gaze away from Eileen and the rebel, I came face to face with the person who had addressed us.

My God, the man was _huge_! He was wearing a green outfit with slight tears in the stomach area, and he was floating around in a mechanical chair. I was relieved; I couldn't see his legs, so he probably couldn't walk on his own.

"Are you Krew?" Keira asked cautiously.

"Yes," Krew replied, forcing me to discreetly wave my hand in front of my face, "What can I get you tonight, eh?"

"I was told you knew a lot about the city," Keira replied, "I'm looking for my family. Do you know where they are?" She slapped some photographs down, but Krew snatched them away in his chubby fingers before I could take a look at them.

"Are you okay, Paige?" Keira asked me.

I looked up from my lap. "Y-yeah, I'm fine," I assured her.

"Why are you wearing a hood, anyway?" the green-haired girl asked, frowning at the hood pulled over my head.

"No reason," I mumbled, pulling the hood even tighter. We were in a bar; I didn't want to whole crowd seeing my ears. I could tell Keira didn't believe me from the frown on her face, but she decided to let it go all the same, turning back to Krew, who wasn't paying much attention to me. Yet.

"Is there anything you can do?" Keira asked insistently.

"If you can help me with the racing bets," Krew decided, "Then I'll find information on your family, hmm?" Keira nodded, but from the look on her face, I could tell she was pleased.

"And who's your friend, eh?" Krew asked, facing me now.

"Paige," I mumbled, "Nice to meet you, too, Krew."

Krew chuckled, which made a chill go down my spine.

"So do you have a job?" I asked Keira as we sat in a booth after the latter was finished speaking to Krew.

"I'm a mechanic over at Mar Memorial Stadium," Keira replied proudly, clutching a wrench in her hand, "What about you?"

"I'm a nurse for the Krimzon Guard over at the Fortress," I answered, "That's a long story in itself. How'd you become a mechanic?"

"It's a long story," Keira said, "But I'm glad I found a job for now to keep me occupied until I find my family."

I smiled. At least one of us was lucky to avoid a prison cell. "That's good," I quipped, "I hope you find them soon. And I hope we can continue to stay in contact." It was true; Keira seemed nice, as well as strong. I hoped she found what she was looking for.

* * *

After parting ways with Keira, I trekked back to the Fortress, and my bracelet continued to flash green. I sighed as I entered the intimidating building again. I couldn't stop thinking about Eileen and the rebel from before. Should I ask Eileen about the Underground? Or should I wait for her to tell me? I wasn't sure what to do, so I decided to sit back and wait for her to say something.

"Paige?" a familiar voice greeted, and I glanced over my shoulder as Erol finished locking up his office for the night.

"Commander," I replied, "What's going on?"

"Paige," Erol repeated, "How would you like to take over regular Dark Eco deliveries?"

I was stunned. I wasn't expecting him to ask me this. "Deliveries, sir?" I echoed.

"The Baron and I need more Dark Eco, and you seem much more willing to give it to us than Peterson."

I was floored. I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not, but I nodded anyway, since he wouldn't tell me anymore about it. "I guess I could do that," I decided, "Yeah, I'll do it!"


	5. Escape

Okay! I know this is a fast update, but I had to get this chapter written up before the idea escaped me. I didn't want it to go to waste! Thanks to those of you who reviewed the last chapter! Here, the events of the game are going to begin! Enjoy! :D

**DISCLAIMER: **Only Paige and Eileen are mine. Everyone else belongs to Naughty Dog.

**WARNING: **There will be Jak II spoilers throughout this story. (I'm only putting this up once, too.)

From now on, these are going to be the designated fonts for the story. I'll only put this up one more time so that I don't have to keep repeating it:

**Bold- **Erol's POV

_Italics- _Audio Transmissions and/or Jak's POV

_**

* * *

**_

_**Two years later…**_

"_Paige,_" Erol's voice barked into my communicator, "_Have you finished loading the Dark Eco yet?_"

Sighing, I put down the IV I was setting up to check on the Dark Eco machine in front of me. "It's all fired up and ready to go!" I confirmed.

"_Good,_" the Commander complimented, "_Now the Baron and I can continue with our work. That'll be all_." I hung up as I exhaled again.

Two years. _Two years _had actually gone by since I arrived in Haven City, since I met Eileen, Erol, Baron Praxis, Keira, and Krew, and since I saw Jak get thrown in a prison cell. Had it really been that long?

I never got around to asking Eileen about the Underground all that time ago, so I decided to keep it in the back of my mind as the two of us continued to work together in the Fortress hospital. However, she had no idea that I was working with Dark Eco a lot more now than I used to. Speaking of Eileen, where was she, anyway? She hadn't shown up all day, which was starting to worry me. I was surprised Erol and Praxis didn't take notice of this.

Keira and I also slowly became acquaintances, and any time I was able to get out of the Fortress, I went to visit her in the Stadium section, where she was situated in a garage near the Mar Memorial Stadium.

Getting around hadn't been easy, either, but somehow, I managed, with Keira's help. But even with being in the _Jak and Daxter _world for two years, there was still so much I didn't know, such as the other types of Eco. So far, I had only worked with Dark Eco and Green Eco, but more Dark Eco than anything else. I had not yet had any exposure to the other types. I cursed myself for not asking for more information from my sisters before landing here.

Ten minutes later, I was staring absent-mindedly at the bracelet I had gotten from Erol, which was flashing green, as always, when the door next to me opened. "Was that the last of the Dark Eco?" Erol asked, nodding at the labs where we stored the dangerous substance.

"No, there's still some left," I answered, "Why?"

"We need it. Something's not working and we have to figure out what it is."

I sighed again. Two years of being under Erol's watch had taught me not to ask questions, so I didn't even bother. I just did what I was told. Sometimes, I wished I was anywhere but in that Fortress, but I knew I had to keep doing my job around the hospital, especially with Eileen missing for days at a stretch.

"Here's the last of it," I announced, "Whatever you need it for, I hope it'll be enough."

"Oh, it will," Erol assured me, patting the last vial of the purple-black liquid, "Thank you, Paige." I shuddered a little bit.

"Your shift is over," he informed me, leaving with the last of the Dark Eco. Once he was gone, I removed my Krimzon Guard uniform and changed back into regular clothes. Now that I was finished for the day, I was free to do whatever I wanted, and I decided I would go visit Keira. She was the only other friend besides Eileen that I had in this city, and I wouldn't take advantage of her kindness. Just before I left, I took a look around the hospital wing before glancing at the bracelet again. Sighing, I gathered up my purse and exited the Fortress just as the sun set over Haven City.

* * *

_"All right, Erol," the Baron declared with excitement, "We'll see if today's test yields any fascinating results. Strap him down to the chair." As the machine whirred noisily above both men's heads, Erol strapped me down carefully. Lately, no matter how much Dark Eco was being pumped into me, nothing seemed to be happening. Sure, there was a spark every now and then, but nothing significant. _

_As the machine above him scanned my body for any changes, I grunted in the seat and was relieved when the machine announced, "Dark Eco injection cycle complete. Bio readings nominal and unchanged." _

_Praxis's face went from excited to disappointed in seconds. "Hmm," he mused, "Nothing. I was informed that this one might be different!" He glared at Erol as he expected an answer. Meanwhile, I just held my breath as I waited for the Commander's answer. _

_"He is surprisingly resistant to your 'experiments', Baron Praxis," Erol noted, "I fear the Dark Warrior Program has failed." _

_"Aagh!" Praxis growled as he yanked me up by my hair, "You should at least be dead with all the Dark Eco I've pumped into you!" _

_"What now? Metal Head armies are pressing their attacks. Without a new weapon, my men cannot hold them off forever." _

_The Baron turned away from Erol as he thundered, "I will not be remembered as the man who lost this city to those vile creatures! Move forward with the final plan! And finish off this…thing tonight!" He skirted around the Commander and walked away. "Thing"? He only considered me a "thing"? If I wasn't bound to the Dark Warrior Program Chair, I would have throttled him right then and there. _

_"As you wish," Erol said. Then, turning to me and resting a hand on my shoulder, he snarled, "I'll be back later." He, too, walked away, leaving me in the testing room by myself. _

_I closed his eyes and began to breathe slowly to alleviate the pain I had been feeling over the last two years. Eventually, I was just beginning to fall asleep just as an elevator appeared to his left. _

_"Ding, ding, third floor! Body chains, roach food, torture devices!" a familiar, chipper voice announced as the figure-a small, orange ottsel, hopped off the elevator. There was something oddly familiar about him, but I was too out of it to really think about who it was. _

_"Hey buddy, seen any heroes around here?" he asked before finally looking down and noticing me, "Whoa! What'd they do to you?" I continued to sleep. _

_"Jak? It's me, Daxter!" the Ottsel shouted. I opened my eyes, tiredly gazed at Daxter, and then fell back asleep, but at the same time, I was both extremely happy and relieved. Daxter was back! I almost couldn't believe it! He had finally found me, just like he promised he would! _

_"Oh, that's a fine hello!" Daxter snapped, "I've been crawling around this place, risking my tail…literally…to save you! I've been looking for you for two years! Say something! Just this once!" _

_And at that moment, I suddenly felt anger…over being used as a lab rat for two years, as well as not knowing what had happened to my friends. At that moment, I opened his eyes and did something I'd never done before: I spoke. Somewhere in the two years I was trapped here, I had never attempted to speak, but it sounded almost natural when the words exited my mouth. _

_"I'm gonna kill Praxis!" I shouted, looking up at Daxter, who was trying to quiet me down. _

_"Shh," Daxter warned, "Right now, we've got to get you out of here. Just hang tight while I figure out how to undo these chains." But as Daxter analyzed them, I suddenly felt myself transform against my own will and break the chains myself. Oh, Precursors! What was happening to me? _

_"Or…uhh…you can do it," Daxter stammered, frightened at the person that now stood in front of him. Not recognizing my friend, I growled and approached Daxter in a savage manner. This was starting to scare me a little bit. Why was I losing control like this? _

_"Jak?" Daxter cried, "Easy now, easy buddy. It's me! Your old pal, Daxter, remember?" _

_But I didn't recognize the animal in front of me. I growled and reached out to slice Daxter with my claws when a wave of recognition passed over me. "Daxter?" I asked as I reverted to normal. _

_"What the heck was that?" Daxter shouted in a tone that was both angry and relieved, "Sheesh! Remind me not to piss you off! Come on, tall, dark, and gruesome! We're out of here! Oh, and I also brought you some new threads. Put them on." He held up a blue tunic, white pants, and brown boots. I took them from him gratefully and quickly changed into them, relieved that I was finally getting out of there. _

_"You saved me," I whispered as we ran through the Fortress, "You came back, just like I knew you would!" _

_"Don't mention it," Daxter replied, waving his paw, but then gasping at something up ahead, "Guards, Jak!" _

_Putting on a burst of speed, I raced forward and used melee attacks to kill the Krimzon Guards in front of me. After they disappeared in a puff of purple smoke, I continued onwards as alarms rang around me and red lights flashed. "There is no escape," a female, robotic voice warned, but we ignored it as we climbed out of the Fortress and jumped down to the street below. _

_"We're free, Jak!" Daxter announced happily as we continued to jog through the dark streets, "We'll get that Baron Praxis guy, all right! It must be nice to breathe fresh air, huh?" _

_"Yeah, it is," I agreed as we slowed down to a walking pace. Since this was my first time stepping outside into the city in two years, I had no idea where to go from here. That was when it happened. _

_"Hello, strangers," a raspy voice greeted, and Daxter and I looked up to see a short, older man in a blue robe standing in front of us, and next to him was a young boy who looked no older than two. _

_"My name is Kor. How may I help you?" _

_I frowned, marched over to Kor, and leaned in close to his face. "You look like a reasonably smart man!" I snapped, "I want information! Where the hell am I?" _

_"Sorry. He's…uhh…new to the whole conversation thing," Daxter quickly explained to the Kid, who just stared at him with curiosity. _

_"Well, my angry young friend," Kor explained patiently, "You are a guest of his majesty, Baron Praxis, the ruler of glorious Haven City." _

_"I was just a guest in the good Baron's prison!" I screamed. _

_"Inside a cell, or inside the city, walls surround us both. We are all his prisoners," Kor said with sympathy. _

_Suddenly, Kor looked up and paled. "Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time," he mused, "I'd move on if I were you." Kor began to hurry the Kid away as a cluster of guards approached us. One of them pulled out his gun, pointed it at all of us, and made an announcement. _

_"By order of his eminence, the grand protector of Haven City, Baron Praxis, everyone here in this section is hereby under arrest for suspicion of harboring underground fugitives. Surrender and die!" _

_I began marching up to the guard in protest when Daxter cut in front of me. "Ahh, excuse me, sir," he started, "Don't you mean surrender…or die?" _

_"Not in this city," Kor answered, backing away with the Kid, "Protect us from these guards and I'll introduce you to someone who can help you." I turned his angry gaze to the guards and raced towards them to take them out. Kor and Daxter watched from where they were each respectively standing, too petrified to move. Right in front of their eyes, I transformed and began swiping at the guards, even though it all seemed to happen in a snap for me. _

_As I continued to take out the guards, blood flowed out of them and ran through the streets as the men screamed in agony. Even though I knew I was protecting everyone, I still couldn't help but feel shocked by this other side of me that wasn't there before the Dark Warrior Program happened. Daxter approached me just as I was reverting back to my normal self. _

_"That was cool!" Dax commented, "Do it again!" _

_"Something's…happening to me," I groaned, feeling the heat travel down my body, "Something he did…I can't control it!" _

_"Very impressive," Kor mused, "What you just did was very brave. This child is important." _

_"What, this kid?" Daxter asked, glancing at the Kid, "Looks kind of scruffy." _

_Suddenly, another Hellcat cruiser approached us. "You are in a restricted zone. Move along!" the guard commanded before zooming away. Kor sighed. _

_"Thank you for your help, but I must get this boy to safety," he said, gesturing to the Kid. _

_"Hey! What about us?" Daxter yelled angrily. _

_"There is an Underground group waging war against Baron Praxis. Its leader, the Shadow, could use fighters like you. Go to the slums and find a dead end alley near the city wall. Ask for Torn. He can help you." And with that, Kor and the Kid departed, leaving me and Daxter on our own. _

* * *

I noticed the streets were crowded more than ever now, and I wondered what that was all about. There were never this many citizens out before. Shivering, I pulled my hood even tighter over my head as I kept walking, hoping to get to the Stadium soon, where Keira would be waiting.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, I heard an all-too-familiar voice. "Paige?" it asked, and I turned and gasped.

"Eileen?" I spluttered in surprise as she waved me over. Looking around quickly, I jogged over to her, but she seemed to be in a hurry.

"Thank the Precursors I caught you!" she whispered, "I've been waiting for the opportune moment to tell you this, but…I'm in the Underground!"

"Really?" I asked, pretending like I didn't know this whole time, "Why didn't you say something before?"

"I didn't want to risk anything!" Eileen explained, "But I've been waiting for the chance to get you out of there, too! Come join me at the hideout! We could always use more members!"

"Oh, I don't know," I began, looking around for any Krimzon Guards, "We could be caught."

"Come on, Paige!" Eileen pleaded, "Don't you want to be free of _this_?" She yanked my wrist with the bracelet on it and held it up to my face.

Narrowing my eyes, I swiped her hand away. "_This _is just so that Erol can call me back if he needs something in the hospital," I explained to her, and I was surprised when she didn't accept my answer.

Eileen face-palmed herself. "No, it's not!" she insisted, "Remember the Commander had one of those on me, too?" She held up her own wrist, and I noticed her bracelet was gone.

"What…did you _do_?" I asked in a harsh whisper.

"I had one of the other Underground members remove it for me," Eileen explained quickly, "Whatever Erol told you about it is a lie."

"Then what _is _it for?" I challenged.

Eileen looked around and then began programming something on my bracelet. "Not here," she whispered, "I'll explain later. And…there. All done." She looked up at me expectantly.

"Just at least swing by the Underground for a little bit," she pleaded, "Trust me, it's a million times better than being stuck in that hospital all day, every day. I _promise _I'll have you back in the Fortress before anyone can notice you're gone."

I sighed as I thought about it for a minute. I was really uncomfortable with this idea. Erol was expecting me back at the Fortress, where I had been living for the last two years as well. But Eileen really wanted me to stop by the Underground, so I supposed it wouldn't hurt. "Fine," I decided, "Let's go to the Underground. But as soon as I'm finished there, I'm going back to the hospital."

"Thank you!" she thanked me in a relieved tone of voice after bear hugging me, "Come on, let's go!" Nodding silently, I climbed onto the Zoomer she was in, and she began to drive us to wherever the Underground hideout was. I couldn't believe this; I was actually going to visit the _Underground, _out of all places! This was going to be interesting.

After a few minutes of driving, Eileen finally turned into a dead-end alley, where a door with a green and black emblem on it greeted us. "Is that it?" I asked in a hushed voice.

Eileen only nodded, for standing outside the door were two people, a man and a woman. The man looked awfully familiar. _No, _I thought, _It can't be. Seriously? _

As I climbed down from the Zoomer, I tried not to look him in the face, but thanks to Eileen, that didn't exactly work. "I found another one, Torn!" she announced, "The girl I was telling you about from the Fortress: Paige Smith!"

I couldn't help but glare at Eileen. _Just put my business out there, why don't you? _I thought.

As soon as the man-Torn-looked at me, I could see his eyes widen in recognition at first, but then they narrowed again as he began to play with the knife in his pocket.

"I remember you," he said in a low voice, "I tried to get you to join the Underground two years ago. It finally took you long enough."

I frowned again. His attitude turned me off instantly. Did he treat _everyone _like this, or just me? "I'm not joining," I assured him, "I'm just staying here for a little bit." Torn smirked, but before he could say anything else, Eileen spoke up again.

"Did you hear?" she asked, "Someone broke out of the Fortress today!"

"Yeah, I heard about that," Torn confirmed, "It's about time someone escaped from there."

"Who was it?"

Before the auburn-haired man could answer, all four of us suddenly heard footsteps, and even though my hood was still over my head, they seemed much louder.

"We're looking for a guy named Torn. Kor sent us," a husky voice began as Torn marched over to the newcomers.

"Uhh…are you Torn?" the voice asked in a slightly nervous tone.

"Maybe he's a mute!" another happier voice piped up, "Like you used to be!"

_Wait a minute, _I thought, _That voice sounds familiar!_ And with that, I finally willed myself to turn around, and I nearly gasped at what I was seeing.

_Jak and Daxter! _I realized, remembering Daxter's voice from seeing my sisters play _The Precursor Legacy _in passing. They looked so different now from that game, and Jak looked more like his counterpart on the _Jak II _jewel case.

_Thank the Precursors Jak escaped from the Fortress, _I thought, surprised that I was now using _Jak and Daxter _terminology instead of my own, _What the hell happened to him over these years? _I made sure my hood covered my ears at this point

Meanwhile, Torn bared his teeth in suspicion as he looked Jak and Daxter up and down.

"New faces make me nervous," Torn admitted through gritted teeth, "Word is you're out to join the fight for the city. You know, picking the wrong side could be…unhealthy." Jak scowled at the comment.

"We want to see The Shadow," Jak requested as Torn began laughing again.

"Not likely," he said, "If you want to join something, why don't you and your _pet _go join the circus?" Daxter glared at him.

"Unless you've got the fur for a really tough task," Torn continued, "Steal the Baron's banner from the top of the ruined tower and bring it back to me. Then maybe we'll talk." He threw his knife into the air and then caught it. Jak narrowed his eyes, but he and Daxter turned away and headed over to Dead Town to complete the mission assigned to them.

"Oh, before you leave," Torn suddenly piped up as he raised his other hand and pushed me towards them, "Take her with you. She's got to prove herself as well."

"_What?_" I gasped, "You've got to be kidding me! I'm not joining the Underground! This is against the rules!"

"Just go with them," Torn ordered, pointing the knife at me, "Before I change my mind."

I flicked my gaze to Eileen, who just shrugged silently. Going on a mission with the heroes of the game was sure to be an interesting experience, and sure to get us into a lot of trouble.


	6. Untimely Discoveries

Next chapter is here! Thanks to those who have been reading and reviewing so far! On another note, the main reason Paige went on the first mission to Dead Town with Jak and Daxter was that I didn't think it would be fair if she got to get into the Underground over Jak and Daxter without going through a test. With that in mind, enjoy! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **Only Paige, Eileen, and General Lloyd are mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

_

* * *

_

_This is going to suck,_ I thought to myself as soon as I realized that Torn was sending me on this mission as well. Could my day _not _have gotten any worse?

Jak and Daxter quietly made their way towards a parked Zoomer, and as they climbed onto it, Daxter asked, "So, buddy, do you think Torn will let us in after we find this banner?"

"I hope so," Jak replied, taking over the wheel. Then, turning to face me, he narrowed his eyes and asked, "Are you coming or what?"

"Well, I'm being forced to," I mumbled under my breath as I climbed onto the Zoomer and held Jak's waist to support myself. Luckily, my hood was still pulled over my head so that they couldn't see my ears.

"What was that?" Jak asked.

"Nothing, nothing," I sighed. Nothing was going the way I planned, and it made me want to cry. However, Torn and even Jak didn't seem like they had the time to listen to my sob stories, so I just pushed them away.

Suddenly, the Zoomer lurched forward as Jak began to attempt to drive it. It was clear he had never driven one before, and I hoped he didn't get us killed before the first mission.

"Hey there, sweetheart!" a cheerful voice greeted, and I looked up from my lap as Daxter addressed me. _He's even more cheerful here than in the actual game, _I couldn't help but think to myself as I smirked.

"Do you have a name to go with that lovely face of yours?" he asked.

I forced myself to laugh in order to suppress the slightly sick sensation I was feeling from Jak switching between the two different hover zones. Whenever I drove on a Zoomer with Keira, she usually stayed in one zone instead of continuously switching back and forth. "Very funny," I replied, "It's Paige. And you are?"

"Orange Lightning!" Daxter replied, "And this is Jak, my sidekick." In the front, I could hear Jak sigh and then chuckle a little bit.

"Don't mind him," Jak told me, "And his name is Daxter."

"Well, nice to meet both of you," I replied as I took a deep breath. Daxter seemed friendly enough, just like from what I remembered of my sisters playing _The Precursor Legacy,_ but Jak…I wasn't sure about him. Something was different about him from the boy I had seen Erol carry into the Fortress two years ago, but I couldn't put my finger on it. All I could gather was that he was…meaner. Yeah, that was it.

"So, Paige," Daxter began again, "Are you from around here?"

"No," I replied, shaking my head, "Are you?"

Jak vigorously shook his head, and I figured out that he didn't want to talk about it at the moment. I sighed. He was so mysterious.

"We made it!" he cried a few minutes later, and after shutting the engine off, we all climbed down from the Zoomer and made our way over to the gate. Feeling nervous, I glanced down at the bracelet Erol had given me, and it was still flashing green. However, Eileen had done something else to it. What had she done?

"Hey, toots!" Daxter suddenly shouted to me, "That banner ain't gonna steal itself, ya know!"

I glanced up again. "Sorry," I apologized, "I just don't have a good feeling about this."

We waited patiently for the gate to open and heard a voice announce, "_Leaving city safe zone_."

"Now, I _definitely _don't have a good feeling about this," I mumbled as the gate opened in front of us. With that, we entered the ruins, which Jak and Daxter referred to as Dead Town.

"Man, what a wreck!" Daxter commented as we hopped across the water, "At least the tower is over there."

"Are you sure we should be out here?" I asked in a trembling voice, "I got arrested for being found outside the gate!"

Jak whirled around to face me. "Why are you so worried about getting in trouble all the time?" he asked.

"I'm just being cautious," I reasoned.

"Now's not the time to be cautious," Jak told me, "We have a Baron to bring down!" And with that, he and Daxter continued to hop across the rocks until they arrived in a sandy area next to a few crumbled walls. As I followed them, I wondered what happened out here to reduce this area into nothing but ruins.

"Look out!" Daxter shouted at me, and when I looked up, I quickly hopped out of the way of some strange-looking orange and green creatures. As soon as they became aware of our presence, they moved forward to attack, but Jak took care of them before they could do too much damage. With a fury of punches and kicks, the monsters disappeared in a flash of purple. That was strange. No corpses?

Whatever. That was relatively unimportant compared to the mission at hand. It was tedious crawling up the different crumbling walls, but Jak and Daxter seemed to manage just fine, whereas I was exhausted. In fact, they were already way ahead of me just as I was finished hoisting myself up to their level. After resting for a minute, I quickly ran so that I could join them and avoid falling off the walls. How did they do this so easily in the games?

The next part was tricky, and I felt my heart pound in my chest when the foundation began to crumble under our feet as we jumped. This next area would require a lot of athletics, which I _didn't_ have, unfortunately. I would have to improvise; I would pretend this was just a far more rigorous gym class at home.

"Paige!" Jak shouted, and I managed to grab onto the metal pole in front of me just as the platform dropped out from under me.

"You've never done something like this, have you?" the blond teenager deduced, and I narrowed my eyes as I shook my head.

"No," I admitted, swinging forward so that I could finally make it to their solid platforms. Somehow, I did it, with Jak's helping hand, of course. Once I was up to their level, I sighed and brushed myself off.

"I'm going to kill Torn when we get back," I grumbled as we continued on our way, "He's crazy for sending us out here like this."

"Hey, _you _chose to join the Underground, sweetheart," Daxter piped up.

I face palmed myself. "I did _not _join," I insisted, but Jak interrupted before the ottsel could say anything else.

"There's the banner!" he cried, and he immediately ran to it and picked it up off the ground. Before he and his friend could pose in victory, the tower crumbled around them and they fell, with a crash, into the water. I followed suit, losing my balance on the platforms and sliding next to them as I crashed onto the ground next to them. A little bit of the dirty water splashed onto me, and I glanced over at Jak, who was lifting the banner out of the water and shaking it out.

"I think we need to go back to the city, Jak," Daxter announced, and nodding, Jak pocketed the banner.

"Right," he said, "Let's go." He and the ottsel began to make their way back to the gate, and I silently followed them. I knew we were trespassing out here, but I was surprised we didn't get caught, especially after the tower crumbled.

"See?" Daxter said, glancing at me, "Nothing to worry about, right, toots?"

"I guess not," I replied, "Thank the Precursors that's over."

"Sheesh," Daxter quipped, "You've gotta get out a little more!"

I rolled my eyes as the gate opened in front of us and announced, "_Welcome back._"

* * *

Once Torn saw how water-logged we were and the banner in Jak's hands, he allowed a small smile on his face and declared, "All right. I guess you guys are in. Why don't you rest up for the night?"

Jak and Daxter grinned and pounded fists in victory as I sighed and rubbed my arms, which were freezing from falling into the Dead Town water. "You won't regret hiring us," Daxter chirped, "I promise." Torn rolled his eyes.

"Don't get your hopes up," he warned, "You're still new here." Jak and Daxter glanced at each other and shrugged before entering the hideout, and I glanced around quickly before following them. At first, Jak was reluctant to enter the underground bunks, but a few whispers from Daxter got him to relax. I briefly became curious about what had happened to him in the Fortress, but I knew better than to ask.

"You guys are back already?" a voice asked out of nowhere, "That was fast."

I looked up to see Eileen making up some beds for the three of us.

"Oh yeah!" Daxter cried, "We got into the Underground, thanks to me! Jak and Paige helped out a little bit."

"I did most of the work," Jak responded jokingly, smirking as his ottsel friend frowned in mock-anger.

"Well, it's good that Torn let you all in," Eileen said as she finished smoothing out the white sheets on one of the bottom bunks and turned to Jak and Daxter, "I'm Eileen, by the way. Medical officer for the Underground. If you need any Green Eco or other healing supplies, just let me know."

"Will do," Jak spoke up, "Thanks, Eileen." She nodded and stood off to the side of the room, and I knew I would have to talk to her privately at some point.

"Ahh, I think I'm gonna go scrub myself down," Daxter announced.

"Good luck with that," Eileen piped up, "We each only get about five minutes for a shower these days."

"That'll be enough," Jak assured her, and he and Daxter grabbed a few towels on the side and shut the door to the bathroom. The faint sound of running water greeted my ears.

"Medical officer for the Underground, huh?" I asked as I moved closer to my friend, "Were you a spy in the Fortress this whole time?"

Crossing her arms, Eileen shook her head. "You don't know the half of it, Paige," she sighed, "I'll explain another time."

"There might not be another time," I reminded her, "After I clean myself off from Dead Town, I'm heading back to the Fortress. We had a deal, remember?" I held up my wrist for analysis.

"What'd you do to my bracelet, anyway?" I asked.

"I just did a little bit of reprogramming on it," Eileen explained, "Here, let me see it again." I held out my wrist, and she ran her fingers across the bracelet before finding a groove in it and ripping it off.

"Ow!" I gasped, stumbling backwards a little bit, "Why'd you just do that?"

"Sorry, Paige," Eileen apologized, "But you're not going back to the Fortress. You're finally free."

"Damn it!" I cursed, "I'm going to get in so much trouble! I already don't want to be here as it is!"

Eileen sighed. "You really want to go back?" she asked in disbelief, "Why would you _want _to continue to work under Erol?"

"Did somebody say _Erol_?" Jak's deep, husky voice suddenly piped up, and both women glanced over at the bathroom door and spotted Jak and Daxter reemerging in their clothes from before.

Eileen and I glanced at each other. "I guess we did," I admitted, "Why, you know him?" I instantly remembered the day Erol had hauled Jak in.

"I hate that bastard," Jak grumbled, and I caught my breath, "But I don't want to talk about it." Even Daxter didn't have much to say about that, and I was even more curious now.

"Dax and I are going to go to sleep," the blond teenager announced, "Good night." Nodding, I gathered some towels and decided to take my five-minute shower, but not before turning around and watching as Eileen raised a hammer and destroyed the bracelet Erol had given me.

* * *

**"I told you," Baron Praxis was explaining sheepishly to a head that was illuminating from a communicator on the table, "I don't have the Eco for you now." **

**"I'm disappointed," the head sighed, "You promised the Metal Heads Eco and you're holding out on us." **

**"I'm not holding out on you!" Baron Praxis insisted, "I'll have the Eco for you by tomorrow." **

**"You'd better or else we're launching another attack on the city." The head disappeared as I disconnected the call. **

**"Baron Praxis, are you sure that was the right move?" I asked, "He seemed pretty mad." **

**"Of course!" Praxis boomed, "Once I find more eco, it will be his." **

**I suddenly had a bad feeling about all of this, but he still nodded anyway; the Baron knew what was best for Haven City, after all. Aside from Jak, who both of us deemed a lost cause at this point. Since the Dark Warrior Program was a failure, we'd have to come up with a new weapon that would not just disappear the way Jak did. **

**Suddenly, General Lloyd ran into the room, panting and resting his hand on the Baron's table. "Baron Praxis! Commander!" he shouted breathlessly, "The prisoner…umm…**_**Jak**_**! He's escaped!" **

**"**_**What**_**?" Praxis growled, and I could feel the anger boiling inside of him. I just stood, shocked, by his side. Jak had escaped? How? I had promised the Baron that I would go back and kill the Eco Freak, and he must have escaped some time after that. **

**"We've also gotten word that the tower in Dead Town has collapsed!" Lloyd continued, "What do we do?" **

**"What do you **_**do**_**?" Praxis snapped, slamming his fist onto the table, "You go out there and find him, damn it! And when you do find him, bring him back here!" **

**"Right away, sir!" And with that, he was gone. **

**"Commander," Praxis continued, facing me, "Why didn't you take care of the little brat like I asked you to?" **

**"I wasn't expecting him to escape," I explained, "Is there anything I can do to make it up?" **

**"You can lead the city-wide search for him," Praxis decided, "Now go!" **

**"Yes, sir." After Praxis turned back to the large window, I left the room. I couldn't believe Jak had escaped! Someone had to have helped him. But who? **

_**Crunch.**_** I suddenly felt my metallic boot step on something, and lifting my foot up, I spotted something pink on the floor. A flower hair clip. **

_**This is Paige's,**_** I thought, picking it up and holding it in my hand, **_**She must have dropped it.**_

**Speaking of Paige, I strangely hadn't heard from her or her partner, Peterson, since all this started. Since I needed more Dark Eco for the Dark Warrior Program. Could she have…no. It wasn't Paige. She was a good girl. She was like my own personal pet. She wouldn't do anything that risky, like breaking the Eco Freak out of prison. **

**But I still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. I tried to reach her through her communicator, only to get static in response, and when I checked on her bracelet through some special monitors, I got nothing either. Oh, well. I decided that Jak was more important at the moment, so I would start trying to bring him down after the little stunt he pulled in the Fortress. **

**As for Paige, she would come back. She always did. **

**

* * *

**

Waking up the next morning in the Underground hideout instead of a KG bunk bed was tough to get used to, but I still rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. As I sat up and threw the covers off of me, I suddenly received a rude awakening.

"Morning, toots!" Daxter's chipper voice greeted, and I groaned as I reached for a pillow to throw at him. In the process, however, my hood had fallen off my head, revealing the rest of my face…including my ears.

For a minute, neither one of us could move, but Daxter was first to break the silence. "_Whoa_!" he gasped, "Check out those ears! Did someone cut them short when you were young?"

"_Daxter!_" I hissed, and then added to myself, "This is why I didn't want anyone seeing them."

"I've never seen ears that short before!" Daxter continued, "The big guy will want to see this!"

"See what?" another voice asked, and I looked up as Jak entered the room. Upon staring at me, he dropped a piece of fruit he had been eating. I could feel my cheeks burn in embarrassment as I tried to pull the hood back over my head, but the damage was done.

"Whoa," he also gasped, clearly not knowing what else to say.

"Isn't that the craziest pair of ears you've ever _seen_?" Daxter cried, "Just look at how short they are!" At that, I quickly covered them, just like I had two years ago.

"Where…are you from?" Jak asked, "It can't be from around here. Not with those ears."

"It's not," I replied as I felt more and more embarrassed, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get dressed. Eileen told me to pick out some clothes from the Underground selection." And with that, I practically bolted out of the room before either one of them could say anything else.

After my shower from the previous night, I was relieved that I didn't have to do it again this morning. Instead, I stripped off my colorful clothes and instead selected something darker: a green t-shirt, a black jacket, and black shorts. _Now I look like I blend in, _I thought wryly to myself as I finished getting dressed.

Before I could leave the room, I suddenly took a look at my ears. Now that Daxter had so sweetly pointed them out, I had to figure out a way to cover them up, as I didn't want any more weird looks. Fortunately, I managed to spot a helmet in the corner, and picking it up in my hands, I studied it before placing it over my head. Satisfied, I went to go meet the others.

In the main meeting room, Torn and Eileen were sitting at the large round table, and Jak and Daxter were just joining them. "Nice helmet," Eileen complimented as I took my seat next to Jak and reached for some fruit from the bowl.

"Thanks," I thanked her sarcastically, rolling my eyes as I decided to take it off for a minute, getting looks from Jak and Daxter again.

"Eileen told me about your ears," Torn explained quickly, "You better keep them hidden while you're with us."

I sighed to myself as I finished my piece of fruit and played with the helmet. We all fell silent again, and then Daxter climbed down from Jak's shoulder and approached a water fountain in the corner.

"Ahh, being a big hero sure makes you thirsty!" he commented as he went to drink some water, only to end up accidentally spraying sludge into his face. With a scream, he blasted his way across the table and all of us moved out of the way to avoid getting splashed. Jak grabbed the bowl of fruit in the nick of time. Torn sighed.

"The Baron turned off all the water to the slums," he explained, "He's willing to sacrifice innocent lives just to destroy the Underground. I shouldn't be surprised; I've seen his evil before while serving in the Krimzon Guard. That's why I quit." _No way! _I thought, surprised.

"_You_ were a Krimzon Guard?" Jak asked in shock, "Well, that explains your…_charming _sense of humor." Torn narrowed his eyes at the renegade before continuing somberly.

"My friend in the Guard tells me the valve to turn the water back on is located outside the city at the Pumping Station."

"Outside the city?" Jak echoed, "What about the security walls?"

"What about the Metal Heads?" Daxter screamed, picking up the panic in Jak's voice, "That ain't a petting zoo out there! Peeps be getting deep-sixed!"

"Find a large pipe in the north wall," Torn continued as if he hadn't heard anything the others said, "It'll take you outside the city to the pumping station. Get to the main valve and open it. If you survive, the slums will be indebted to you. If not, maybe we'll have a touching moment of silence in your honor."

"Ha. I'd like to give _him _a touching moment," Daxter hissed as the two of them began to leave the hideout.

"You two go ahead," I decided, "I think I'm going to sit this one out." I rested my feet on the table in front of me for emphasis.

"Are you sure?" Jak asked, and I nodded.

"I'm not going to risk getting in trouble outside the city again," I decided.

"All right, then," Daxter decided, "You're just going to miss out on all the fun!"

"I'll live," I assured him, laughing a little bit as they exited through the Underground doors.

* * *

_Plowing through the Pumping Station proved to be more difficult than Torn had made it sound. "Jak, those are Metal Heads!" Daxter had cried, pointing to some of the familiar beasts. Just like in Dead Town, I raced forward and used punches and kicks in order to get rid of these Metal Heads for good. At first, I wasn't sure what to expect, since I hadn't set foot outside the Fortress since I had arrived here. _

_"Ahh, the valve!" Daxter exclaimed when we finally arrived at the main valve, "Allow me." He confidently marched over to the valve and tried to turn it, but found himself struggling. I shook my head in exasperation. _At the rate he's going, we'll never get back to the city in time_, I thought as I sighed, walked over to the valve, and tapped on it. Daxter screamed and shot up into the pipe and traveled down it with great velocity. I watched helplessly as Dax became lodged at the end of the pipe. _

_"Jak? Jak?" he called, "Help? Help?" I tapped on the valve again and Daxter flew out of it and crashed to the ground. I walked over to him and was about to say something when Daxter cut me off. _

_"Don't say it," he snapped, pointing at me as I smirked to myself, "Don't even chuckle. Next time, __you __turn the valve!" He fainted and I picked him up in my arms. _

_"Time to go back to Torn," I decided, "But first, let's see what these Skull Gems are for." _

_The two of us raced through the gate as it announced, "__It's good to see you still alive__." All of a sudden, one particular house in the water slums beckoned to us as it shot black and purple light from the ceiling. Out of nowhere, I began to feel the seductive pull from the house, and I panicked. Why was I feeling this way around this building? _

_We decided to go inside the building and see what was going on. Inside the hut was an Oracle of some sort, which we both figured was connected to the mysterious Precursors. As soon as the Oracle sensed our presence, it came to life and began to speak, lifting me into the air and shooting purple beams into my body. In the process, I felt myself begin to change into that other side of me on and off. _

_"Greetings, great warrior!" the Oracle boomed, "I sense there is a dark rage burning within you, and in time, it'll destroy you with its madness. Only the last power of the Precursors can save you. Destroy my enemies, those creatures that you call the Metal Heads. Bring me twenty-five of their skull gems, and I will teach you how to control these powers!" _

_"AHHH!" I screamed as he completely transformed into the other side, which I had decided to dub "Dark". As I ran around in this form, I thought about how the amount of Dark Eco I held in my body was rapidly running low, and as soon as it was gone, Dark disappeared until I was standing where I was. _

_"You okay, buddy?" Dax asked as we began to return to the Underground hideout. _

_"Yeah, I'm fine," I assured him, "Thanks, Dax." We sighed as we continued to think about our places in the Underground. _

_"So, what do you think of Paige's ears?" he asked, "Isn't that one of the craziest things in this city?" _

_"She'll tell us more when she's ready," I answered, though I was extremely curious about why they were so short, too, "But for now, let's just get back to the hideout." _

_And after that, we broke into a run._


	7. Unexpected Surprises

Next chapter is here! Enjoy! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **Only Paige and Eileen are mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

* * *

The Underground hideout was quiet after Jak and Daxter left for the Pumping Station. Eileen and I sat silently at the round table while Torn received the news that the water had been turned back on. When I looked closer, I saw that he was wearing a smirk on his face.

"So, Torn," I began, "You used to be in the Krimzon Guard, huh?"

Torn looked up from his communicator and fixed his blue eyes on me. "Yes," he said, "What's it to you?"

Running my finger across the table, I sighed and replied, "I'm just trying to find out more about you. Since I'm being forced to stay here, why not try and get to know some of the others?"

"I told you all that you need to know about me. There's nothing more to say." His tone was still that cold, harsh tone, and it was starting to annoy me. And I never usually got annoyed with a lot of things.

"O…kay," I said, "Is there a problem here? What did I do to you to make you hate me?" Maybe that was pushing it a little bit, but that was certainly the vibe I was getting from Torn.

"You mouthed off at me two years ago when I tried to get you to join," Torn responded harshly, narrowing his eyes, "It only seems fair to return the favor."

"That was two years ago!"

Torn smirked, clearly amused by my frustration. _Bastard, _I thought to myself just as the door behind us opened to reveal Jak and Daxter. "Ha! What happened to you?" Torn asked with a smirk on his face as he noticed Daxter's frazzled state.

"No comment," the ottsel replied darkly as Jak rolled his eyes and tried not to laugh.

"So the slum's water is back on," Torn commented happily, "I'd love to see the heads roll when the Baron finds out."

"I wouldn't," I added, shuddering a little bit, and Daxter snorted into his hand.

Jak scoffed. "Yeah, I'm sure he's losing _lots _of sleep over this armpit of a city," he replied sarcastically, "We've done what you asked. Now when do we see the Shadow?"

Torn glared at him. "_When _I say so. _If _I say so. But before I even _think _about it, I want you to take care of an ammo dump we've ID'ed in the Fortress. Lots of Krimzon Guards, constant patrols, we know it's vulnerable. And the Underground needs you to blow up all the ammo you find inside. Get all of it, and we'll deal a body blow to the Baron."

"You're sending us in, tough guy," Daxter piped up, "So what's this 'we'll deal a body blow' stuff?"

"That's fine," Jak decided, "I want the Baron to know it's _me_ who's hurting him."

"Why?" I asked with curiosity, "What'd he do to you?"

"You ask a lot of questions for someone who's paranoid about following the rules," Daxter commented, "Why are you so curious, toots?"

I shrugged. "No reason," was all I said. Jak frowned at me in suspicion before turning on his heel to leave with Daxter again. I got up to follow them when I felt Eileen grab my wrist.

"No way," she said, "You can't go back to the Fortress now! It's heavily armed!"

"But I can't stay in here for the rest of my life, either," I reasoned, "I promised my friend I would go see her."

"Who?" Eileen asked, "Keira?" Eileen was aware of my friendship with Keira Hagai over the last two years.

I nodded.

"Don't worry," Eileen assured me, "I'm sure she's okay. We'll go see her eventually."

"What are we going to do until then?"

"Wait for Jak and Daxter to get back. Then, we'll see from there."

* * *

_**A little while later…**_

"The demolition duo has returned!" Daxter announced happily, "One barbecued ammo dump, served up hot!" From inside my room, I opened her eyes and groaned. I must have fallen asleep by accident some time after talking with Eileen. _Damn it, Daxter, _I thought, _Why do you have to be so obnoxious sometimes? _Sitting up, I grabbed my helmet and entered the main room again as Jak and Daxter stood across from Torn. They smelled like ashes a little bit from blowing up the ammo.

"We saw something odd while torching that ammo," Jak explained, "The Baron's guards were giving barrels of eco to a group of Metal Heads!"

"Really?" Torn asked, "The Shadow will be very interested to hear that." I gulped and suddenly wondered who the Shadow was.

"You know," Daxter piped up, "So far, your gigs have been easier than stealing grass from a sleeping yakkow!"

Torn glared at the ottsel and said, "You and the rodent want to start proving yourselves? One of our 'suppliers' needs his payment delivered: a bag of eco ore. Take the Zoomer parked out back and drive it to the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon in South Town. Ask for Krew; he'll be there. And don't let the Baron's patrols stop you. By the way, when you get there, pump Krew for information. He's wired into the city, and may know what the Baron's up to." _Krew! _I thought, gasping to myself. He was supplying the Underground? Why didn't he say something over the last two years?

"You can count on us!" Daxter assured him as he turned his back to them.

"Are you still here?" Torn asked.

"Can I come with you?" I suddenly piped up, leaping up from the seat and grabbing my helmet. I was sure my question shocked everyone, but I had to see Krew again.

"Are you sure?" Torn asked, smirking to himself, "You might be breaking the rules."

"Ha ha, very funny," I replied sarcastically, "If I'm going to be stuck in the Underground, I might as well make myself useful."

"If you want to hold the eco ore for the whole ride," Jak piped up, handing me the bag, "I'll drive. And don't let anything happen to that package!"

"Don't worry, I won't," I reassured him as I put the helmet on over my head and accepted the bag from him.

"Good luck, you three!" Eileen cried, waving to us, and I chuckled to myself as I followed Jak and Daxter back out to the street.

"Someone shoot me down with a lightning bolt!" Daxter commented as we climbed onto the designated Zoomer, "Paige is _actually joining us_!"

"Oh, hush," I teased as we took off through the Slums. Unlike the trip to Dead Town, Jak drove much smoother this time, even though as soon as the Krimzon Guard saw us traveling with the eco ore, the alarms went off. "At least it wasn't you hitting one of them this time, Jak!" Daxter teased as we drove through the KG blockades and Torn shouted at us through the intercom to move. Jak maneuvered us through the blockades and narrow turns, even with a dozen guards following us. _Jak hit a Krimzon Guard earlier? _I thought to myself.

I tightened my grip around Jak's waist, making sure not to drop the eco ore, and I wondered what Krew could possibly need it for. I took a deep breath.

We arrived without a scratch, and as Jak and Daxter entered the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon, I grabbed the bag of eco ore. As we entered the saloon, Daxter turned to us and said, "Let me handle this, guys. Watch my finesse and style!" I couldn't help but smirk. He was such a showoff, and it was cute in a very cartoony way.

"Don't forget to ask about…" Jak started, but the ottsel cut him off.

"Everything's cool," Daxter assured us, "Nobody panic. Hand over that bag, will ya, Paige?" I rolled my eyes and obliged, wondering what Daxter had in mind. He began walking up to the bar, walking in between the legs of another man. He was muscular, with layers of gray clothing and dark skin. A shiver went down my spine. This man was intimidating, just like Erol.

"Hey there, big guy!" the ottsel greeted, walking past him and finally stopping in front of Krew. Next to me, Jak's eyes widened in shock, taking in the obese man on the hover chair.

"Is that Krew?" he whispered.

"Yes," I answered matter-of-factly. We both fell silent as we watched the following exchange between Daxter and Krew. I was surprised Daxter didn't seem the least bit fazed by Krew's appearance.

"You Krew?" he asked, "Well, we shook the heat, and your shipment's in primo condition!" He handed over the eco ore to Krew, who grinned, showing off his rotten teeth. Jak and I cringed.

"That's good, eh?" Krew replied, "Because a cargo of rare eco ore is worth more than ten of your lives, mmm. And of course, I'd be forced to collect…_slowly._" He chuckled a little bit.

"The Underground will take anyone with a pulse these days," he continued, finally glancing at Jak, "And the cautious," he added, fixing his gaze on me. Krew then glanced at Daxter.

"And what do we have here?" he laughed, "The Shadow's mascot of the month?" He stroked Daxter's fur, which made Jak, Daxter, and I wince in revulsion.

"Ooh, soft," he purred, "Sig, this fur would go well with my silk suits, eh?" Daxter flinched and backed away from Krew's chubby fingers.

"Listen, ahh, tons of fun!" he started, "Anyone can see that you and I have the real juice in this burg. We're both players, right? We're both looking for a piece of the action, right? I think we can do business, right?"

"After nearly getting shot by the KG giving him his bag of eco ore, we should," I piped up, nodding at Daxter.

"We did you a favor," Jak added, "Now it's our turn. Why is the Baron giving Eco to Metal Heads?"

Krew bared his teeth. "Questions like that can get a person killed, eh!" he barked, "Sig, pay 'El Capitan' and his friends here a bonus." Sig stepped forward and silently handed both Jak and me a gun, which looked familiar to me as I took it into my hands. I saw a lot of the Krimzon Guards with these during my days in the Fortress.

"Where'd you get these Scatter Guns?" I asked with curiosity, "From the KG?"

Krew winked. "Let's just say I have…connections. Mmm," he responded, "If you want to see what that baby can do, try the Gun Course outside. Show me some skill with that hardware, and I'll hire you for a job or two, eh?" Jak and Daxter grinned at each other and headed out the door. I followed them so that I could see where the Gun Course was. I had to admit I was a little nervous; I had never used a gun before, and I never thought I would in my life time. At home, I wouldn't have even _dared _to try and learn how to shoot.

We soon arrived at the Gun Course, where Sig took us through a tutorial on how to use the guns at a close range, which made me realize it was equivalent to a shotgun-type weapon in my world.

"This must be Red Eco," Jak said to Daxter as he practiced shooting, "Since it's close range." The bullet ricocheted off the wall, and I decided I would try as well before going through the Scatter Gun Course. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Jak and Daxter watching me, which made me even more nervous than I already was. I just stayed silent when it came to the types of Eco being used. I had become a little more familiar with Red, Yellow, and Blue Eco during my two years in Haven City, but still not as well as Dark and Green Eco.

_Bam! _With a yelp, I fell backwards onto the ground, forgetting about the gun recoil. "Sorry, guys," I apologized, standing up again, "I've never shot a gun before."

"Neither have we," Jak answered, "We're all in the same boat now, right, Dax?"

"Oh yeah!" Daxter piped up, "Let's try the Gun Course now!"

"You two go first," I told them, "I think I'll practice a little more."

"Let's get this show on the road!" Daxter cried, and with a push of a button, the doors opened and closed again behind them, signaling the beginning of the Gun Course. I sighed and watched as their score went up dramatically, and I couldn't help but envy them a little bit. How did they pick up shooting guns so fast?

In that moment, I decided to practice even more now, shooting wild bullets everywhere. I still wasn't good by any means, but with a little more practice, I would be an expert in no time.

I fumbled a little bit as I reloaded the Scatter Gun. If only my friends could see me now: outrunning the police and learning how to shoot guns was not something I was keen on doing at home, but here, I was in the middle of all the action. I shook my head as I heard the door buzz.

"Your turn, sweetheart!" Daxter announced, and I glanced over at him and Jak as they exited the Gun Course.

"How'd you do?" I asked.

"We cleared it with no problems," Jak reported, smirking playfully, and I rolled my eyes. Boys.

"Guess I'm up," I sighed, "Wish me luck."

"Good luck!" the other two replied, and I saluted them as the doors shut behind me.

In front of me, different cardboard cutouts of enemies and civilians alike popped up in front of me, and I quickly learned what I had to shoot and avoid. _Shoot the monsters, avoid the civilians,_ I told myself as I plowed through the gun course. I still had an itchy trigger finger, but I wouldn't give up. I barely managed to clear the Gun Course as I met up with the others again. If only there was another way I could practice.

"Excellent shooting, Jak!" Krew complimented, making me envy Jak even more, "Ever thought about being a Wastelander, mmm?"

"Can't say that I have," Jak mumbled.

"Wastelanders find items outside the city walls, eh? Any artifact or weapon worth having comes through _my _hands. Work for me, and I'll throw some of the sweeter items your way, mmm?"

"Like what?" I demanded. Even though I had known Krew for two years, this was a side of him I'd never seen before.

"Impatient, are we?" Krew asked, "You'll see. And that's only if you pull off all the tasks I give you, eh?"

"Kill Metal Heads?" Jak pondered, "Get toys? Sounds good to me."

Suddenly, Daxter jumped in. "Slow down, Jak and the fat man!" he shouted, "You two had better run that by me again, because there's no _way _I'm going outside the city to face more Metal Heads!"

Krew pointed to Sig. "Sig will show you the ropes," he explained, flying away and revealing Sig once again, who wore a wide smile on his face.

"So you want to be a Wastelander, huh, doughboy?" he asked proudly, "Well, we'll see what you're made of when we get out in the thick. Krew wants some new trophies to put butts in chairs at the Hip Hog, so I'm gonna bag him five nasty Metal Heads at the Pumping Station." Once again, I felt a sweat break out on my forehead at the thought of going outside the city again, and Daxter gulped as well.

"Don't wet your fur, chili peppers," Sig told us, "'Cause we're rollin' with the Peacemaker!" He proudly held up a long stick with a yellow orb on the end. Jak, Daxter, and I all widened their eyes at the weapon.

"Damn…" I muttered under my breath in amazement.

"Whoa!" Daxter exclaimed, "I need one of those! Where did you get it?"

"Don't ask!" Krew snapped, "Sig needs someone to watch his back while he tracks the Metal Heads, eh?"

"We'll meet at the Pumping Station," Sig said, "Listen, cherries! Don't you leave me dangling in the wind out there!"

"Let's do it!" Jak cried, pumping his fist in the air, "Are you coming, Paige?"

I sighed. I didn't want to leave Haven City again, but I also wanted to practice shooting some more, perhaps in a more real life situation. "All right, I'm in," I decided, "But just to get some real shooting practice outside the Gun Course."

* * *

"_Leaving city at your own risk,_" the gate announced as it opened up to the Pumping Station.

"So this is the Pumping Station," I muttered under my breath as I zipped up my jacket.

Jak and Daxter nodded and led me over to Sig, who was waiting for us.

"Hello, cherries!" he greeted, "Ready to hunt a few Metal Heads? Follow me, stick close, and watch my six. It's gonna be fun!"

"_Fun_?" I echoed. _He's out of his mind if he thinks this is fun, _I thought.

"Here we go!" Sig cried, charging ahead, with Jak and Daxter not too far behind him. Not wanting to be left behind, I followed them and readied my Scatter Gun.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a red beam shoot towards me and hit my hip before I could react. "Ouch!" I gasped as I looked up and saw one of those metal creatures similar to the ones that nearly killed me in Haven Forest two years ago. So _these _were the Metal Heads.

Lifting my Scatter Gun, I attempted to shoot the Metal Head, but it took a while before it went down. I was very clumsy with my Gun, and after I was finished with my part of the combat, I watched as Jak, Daxter, and Sig took out the other creatures flawlessly. How did they _do _it?

"Follow me!" Sig ordered, and we all climbed up the metal platforms in front of us, "Get behind me while I toast that tank!"

"Over here, Paige!" Jak yelled at me, yanking me from in front of Sig so that the latter could shoot the tank in front of us. We watched as he charged up the Peacemaker and shot a dark blue-purple ball of energy towards the barrier.

"Damn," I croaked.

"That looks like…_Dark Eco_," Jak whispered, putting a nasty emphasis on _Dark Eco, _and I wondered what that was all about. For now, we ran ahead as we killed the Metal Heads in front of us (with me _still _trying to aim and shoot better).

For the next half hour to hour or so, we plowed through the Pumping Station, stopping at a specific location where one of those Metal Heads was situated, and Jak, Daxter, and I covered for Sig while he charged up the Peacemaker. Against all odds, I had to admit that the Peacemaker was a pretty cool weapon, albeit extremely dangerous and most likely illegal. Oh, well.

"Paige!" Daxter shouted at me, and I looked up and quickly dodged one of those orange lizards that was flicking its tongue at me. Getting slapped by one of those things was painful enough. I didn't want it to happen again. I shuddered.

By the time we reached the fifth trophy, we suddenly found there were too many enemies surrounding us. Sig was starting to look bad from all the damage he took, and I began to worry for his life. "You cherries have been doing all right," he complimented us, "Think you can…?" He trailed off there.

"We're not going to stop now," I said to him, and Jak and I pointed our Scatter Guns at all the different enemies, lizards and Metal Heads alike.

Behind us, Sig knelt down and began to charge up the Peacemaker as the enemies sprinted towards us. Suddenly, next to me, Jak put his gun away. "Jak?" I asked nervously, "What are you doing?"

But he ignored me as he closed his eyes, and in that moment, something in the air changed. Right before my eyes, I watched as purple streaks of electricity crackled around his body as he roared. "_J-Jak_?" I shrieked.

Jak continued to ignore me as a transformation I would never forget took place in front of me: in a flash, Jak's skin turned pale, his eyes went from dark blue to black, he grew long claws on the tips of his fingers, horns sprouted out of his forehead as his hair also turned white, and he grew fangs as well.

"_JAK!_" I shouted for a third time, my heart pounding as the boy in front of me disappeared and something else took his place: a ferocious being I had never seen before. Horrified, I watched as he (who I nicknamed Dark Jak to myself) ran around quickly, taking out all the enemies around us with just one swipe from his clawed hands. He was so fast and vicious that I had to quickly move out of the way so that I wouldn't get hit. Purple streaks emitted from his body with loud crackles and pops, and the look on his face…oh, that look was one I would never forget. His expression was…hungry. Yeah, that was it. Blood flowed from all the monsters, which Dark Jak seemed to revel in, making my stomach hurl. No wonder Jak seemed meaner to me. It must have been because of this side of him.

I glanced over at Sig, who was just finished taking out the last trophy, and I found that a cold sweat was breaking out on my forehead. As my heart continued to pound rapidly in my chest, I watched as Dark Jak stopped and clutched his forehead, and in another flash, he was gone and Jak was back to his normal state once again. That didn't make me feel better about what I had seen, and we both knew it, too.

"BOOM! Home Team: Five! Metal Heads: Nothing. That was the last one. Tell Krew we got them all cooked and canned. I'm gonna clean Peacemaker and pick up the trophies. You did good, rookies!" Sig complimented us, but I barely heard him as I continued to watch Jak and Daxter pound fists.

As soon as Jak turned to face me, however, I felt my heart rate pick up again, and I clutched myself as I just stared at him. All I could see when I looked at him was Dark Jak, and I realized just how frightening that had been. As Jak continued to watch me, I turned and fled from the scene as fast as my legs would take me.


	8. Element of Shock

Thanks again to everyone who's been reading and reviewing! I've gotten a few comments warning me not to stick too close to the events of Jak II, and I'll try not to. Any of the missions Paige takes part in will have some connection to the plot! With that in mind, enjoy! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **Only Paige and Eileen are mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

_

* * *

_

_Boom! Click. Boom! Click. Boom! Click. _

The sound of my Scatter Gun going off and me clicking it back into place was all I could concentrate on while I decided to try practicing at the Gun Course again. But no matter how much I practiced, I couldn't shake what I had seen back in the Pumping Station. Jak had changed into something horrifying, and chills went down my spine just thinking about it. I hoped he and Daxter wouldn't come looking for me. I wanted them to carry on with whatever else Krew wanted them to do for him.

An alarm suddenly rang in my ears, and I noticed I had accidentally shot a civilian. "Shit," I cursed to myself, reloading and continuing through the Scatter Gun Course quickly. I still couldn't believe I was actually teaching myself how to shoot a weapon. This wasn't something that happened in my ordinary life.

By the time I was finished in the Scatter Gun Course, a bell rang as the door opened in front of me. "_Care to try for the course record?_" a voice asked.

"No, thanks," I mumbled to myself as I removed my helmet for a minute to wipe sweat off my forehead. Setting it on a shelf in the corner, I knelt down to retie one of my sneakers, as well as readjust my high ponytail and take a sip from one of the water bottles next to the helmet. _After I'm finished here, maybe I'll go back to the hideout and take a shower, _I thought, _And then go see Keira._

"Playing with guns, are we?"

Yelping, I leaped up from the ground at the sound of a familiar voice coming from my right. One I honestly wasn't expecting to hear in that moment.

"_Damn _it, Erol," I hissed, "You scared me. What are you doing here?"

"I'd like to ask you the same thing," Erol replied, nodding his head towards the Scatter Gun I clutched in my hands, "Different clothes, too?"

I gulped, but planted my feet firmly on the ground. "Yeah," I replied, "I managed to buy a lot of new clothes over the last two years." The fact that he paid attention to my clothing type, colors and all, was just a _tad _bit creepy, in my opinion.

"But those clothes never smelled like Red Eco gunpowder. These ones do." _Shit, _I thought, _Where's he going with this?_

"You weren't getting into trouble just now, were you?" he asked.

I forced myself to laugh in order to calm my nerves. "Me? Getting into trouble?" I asked with a chuckle, "Of course not! You know me! I would never do something like that!" Granted, I wasn't a very good liar, but I hoped that would throw Erol off for now.

But the Commander wouldn't let up, to my disappointment. "Where'd you get that gun?" he asked, pointing to the Scatter Gun that I was now gripping, making my knuckles turn white.

_Think, Paige, think! _I chided myself, _You're not good at lying, but you can't get Krew into trouble, either! Just say something! Anything! Even if it sucks! _"General Lloyd gave it to me," I lied in a surprisingly smooth voice, "He wanted me to be able to defend myself against the Underground. I was just practicing shooting it now, which is why you probably smell gunpowder on me." I felt horrible for lying, since it was something I rarely did, but if it meant not getting my friends into trouble, then that was a risk I was willing to take.

"Lloyd?" Erol echoed, raising an eyebrow, "Hmm. I'll have to investigate him. He's been pretty jumpy since all of this started." I nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, I glanced over at his right hand, which was clamped around something. "What's in your hand?" I asked in a scratchy voice, pointing to his hand.

Almost as if he remembered what he was holding, Erol opened his hand to reveal something pink and small. I gasped to myself. My flower hair clip from two years ago! I _had _been wondering where it had disappeared to.

"I found this on the floor in the Fortress," the Commander explained, reaching up and placing it back into my hair, securing the clip where it had been when I was first arrested, "Don't you think you should be getting back now?"

_What a good question, _I thought to myself. Eileen had told me I couldn't go back, and here was Erol, pretty much telling me the opposite. What was a girl like me to do? Torn and Eileen were going to _kill _me if I went back to the Fortress, but I didn't want to disappoint Eileen, either.

"Yes," I replied neutrally, "But I wanted to see a friend first."

Erol tilted his head to the side and smirked again. "Would that happen to be Keira?" he asked, to which my mouth dropped open in shock.

"How'd you know that?" I asked.

"I have my ways," the Commander said, laughing caustically, "Let's get out of here." I removed the flower clip from my hair so that I could put my helmet on again, and as Erol exited the Gun Course, I gathered my things and followed him, even though the strangest feeling came over me: I was…annoyed, and I couldn't figure out why.

"Where's your wristband?" Erol asked as we cruised through the Port and towards the Stadium section.

_Eileen ripped it off my wrist and destroyed it with a hammer, _I thought to myself as I shook my head. "I always take it off when I'm at home," I lied, hoping he would buy it, "I guess I forgot to put it back on this morning."

"You know the rules, Paige," he reminded me, "You're never supposed to take it off unless I tell you that you can. What if you had gotten hurt? Or worse: kidnapped by the Underground?"

I had to fight to keep from laughing, since being kidnapped by the Underground was _exactly _what had happened. "That wouldn't happen," I assured him, "Besides, why are you so anxious, anyway? I've never seen you like this before."

"One of our prisoners escaped last night: Jak."

At the sound of Jak's name, I gasped. "Jak?" I asked so as not to draw any suspicion to myself, "Was that the boy you hauled in the same day I was arrested? Two years ago? I thought I heard you and Praxis talking about him that day, so that's why I'm guessing."

"The one and only," the Commander replied, "He's dangerous, and a threat to Haven City."

I caught my breath, but soon found that I wanted to know more. "I noticed he disappeared after he was brought in two years ago," I said, "What happened to him in the Fortress after that?"

To my surprise, Erol chuckled. "Oh, Paige," he laughed, "_You_, out of all people, should know the answer to that already."

_Crap, _I thought to myself, _Does he somehow know that I teamed up with Jak? _"What's _that _supposed to mean?" I demanded in a slightly short tone.

"Oh, I think you know."

I frowned, but didn't say another word as we finally arrived at the Stadium section. In the distance, I spotted Keira's garage, and that wave of annoyance coursed through me again. I was hoping to speak to the mechanic alone, but with Erol around, that wasn't happening. I sighed to myself as I thought about Jak again. Well, _Dark Jak, _really. What was Erol talking about?

"Erol!" Keira cried, emerging from behind her traditional green curtain as she lifted up her mask, "And Paige! Didn't expect either of you to be here!"

"Neither did I," I muttered out of both their ear shots, and then saying in a slightly louder voice, "I didn't know you two knew each other."

"Erol helped me get around when I first arrived here," Keira explained, smiling a little bit, "He got me this job here!" _Figures, _I thought, _How could I have missed that over the last two years?_

"Always a pleasure to help," Erol replied, grinning wolfishly again.

"Any luck with your family?" I asked, glancing at Keira again.

"Nothing," she sighed, "Though I meant to tell you, Erol: I'm finally starting my own team, now that I've got the money to do it!"

"Congratulations," Erol responded, "I'm sure you'll find some…suitable racers."

Ahh, yes. Everyone in Haven City knew that Erol was the Grand Champion in racing, when he wasn't commanding the Krimzon Guard. I had seen the trophies around his office, and I shook my head. He seemed to run away with the title, and I wondered if there was anybody out there that could beat him just _once_.

"If anybody's willing to race for me," Keira replied, "I'm waiting for Krew to inform me about that."

"I'm sure somebody will come around," I assured her, "We've just got to wait for them."

Suddenly, we all heard Erol's KG communicator go off, and the redhead sighed. "I hope this is about that prisoner who escaped," he said, "I'm sorry, ladies, but I have to leave. Take care of yourselves, and don't let the Underground stop by here."

"No, sir," I replied, saluting him as he pointed at me.

"You're to be back at the Fortress tomorrow morning," he ordered, and I nodded as he walked out the door. As soon as he was gone, I found myself involuntarily breathing a sigh of relief.

"Thank the Precursors he's gone," I commented to Keira's surprise.

"You don't like Erol?" she asked as she pulled the green curtain behind her, covering up whatever she was working on.

I sighed again as I folded my arms. "It's not that," I answered, "It's just that…I feel suffocated around him. It's been like that for the last two years. Like he has this tight leash around me as if I were a dog." I balled my hand into a fist.

"Precursors, Keira," I continued, "I don't know if I can take it anymore."

"I'm sure he means well," Keira replied in her usual scratchy voice, "He's just helping to protect the city."

"I know, I know," I said, "But still…" I couldn't believe I was actually admitting this out loud to myself.

"I'm going to tell you a secret, Keira," I whispered, "And you have to _promise _you won't tell _anyone._"

"A secret, huh?" Keira retorted, "Okay, you have my word. What is it?"

I stepped outside quickly to make sure nobody was listening before I turned back to the mechanic. "I was with the Underground today," I told her.

She widened her eyes, but didn't comment. "Really?" she finally asked after a short silence, "You joined them?"

"Not exactly," I laughed, "I somehow got dragged into it. They're probably expecting me back, though." _Let's see, _I thought to myself, _Return to the Underground or return to the Fortress. Which one sounds more appealing? _

I wasn't sure, but I had to decide before Torn and Eileen came looking for me. Or worse, sent Jak and Daxter to do the deed instead. I wasn't ready to face Jak yet after what I had seen in the Pumping Station.

"I've got to go," I announced, "It was good seeing you again, Keira."

"You too, Paige," Keira replied, "Be careful out there!"

"I'll try," I joked, "See you around." Winking at her, I readjusted my helmet and turned to leave.

I suddenly thanked my lucky stars that I had my helmet and jacket; as soon as I stepped outside again, I realized how cold it was. My poor legs suffered, but I ignored them while I thought about my situation.

As I walked across some of the bridges in the Stadium section, I stared down at the flower hair clip in my hand, and I sighed. It was my connection with Erol and the Fortress. It was who I was when I worked for him. Then I thought about the Scatter Gun strapped across my back and my Underground clothing, and I saw a slightly different person whenever I was around Torn, Eileen, and even Jak and Daxter.

_Maybe I'll stay with the Underground for just a little bit longer, _I decided to myself, whistling as I pocketed the hair clip and began walking back to the hideout.

* * *

By the time I got back, however, I found myself being ambushed and tackled to the ground. "Precursors!" I gasped, "What the hell?"

"_Where the hell were you?_" Eileen demanded as she got off of me and let me sit up on the floor.

"Sorry," I apologized, "I just went for a walk."

"I was so worried about you!" Eileen exclaimed hysterically, "We thought maybe you were kidnapped by Erol or something!"

I let out a wry laugh. "Funny you should mention Erol," I replied, "I ran into him before."

"You _what?_" Torn spat, slamming his fist on the table.

"I didn't mean to," I quickly explained, "I was practicing shooting my new Scatter Gun in the Gun Course when I ran into him. Don't worry, I didn't tell him anything about the Underground."

"Shit," Eileen cursed under her breath, "Just…_shit._"

"What?" I asked anxiously, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," the nurse whispered, "Thank the Precursors nothing happened."

I sighed as we suddenly heard the door open again, and a strong smell entered the room. Covering my nose, I turned around in my seat and saw none other than…Jak and Daxter! _Oh, no, _I thought, feeling my heart rate pick up again.

"Finally, you guys are back!" Torn said, "And you just came from the sewers, didn't you?"

"What was your first clue?" Daxter asked, making Jak laugh. Even Torn cracked a small smile.

"Well, you're in luck," he announced, "I don't have any missions for you right now. So why don't you just rest up for the rest of the night? You look like you could use it."

"Thanks, Torn," Jak yawned, stretching his arms out and looking thoroughly exhausted. I noticed the new mod he had attached to the Scatter Gun, and I pointed it out.

"Where'd you get that from?" I croaked.

"Krew," Jak answered simply, patting the yellow gun, which he referred to as the Blaster Mod, fondly. _Of course he got it from Krew, _I told myself, shaking my head.

Torn and Eileen glanced back and forth between the three of us, picking up on the sudden awkwardness that filled the room. "Is something wrong?" Eileen asked cautiously.

"No," I answered, "Nothing's wrong." And after glancing at Jak again, I turned and exited into my designated side room, where I finally shrugged off my jacket and took the helmet off as well. It was nice not to have to walk around hiding my ears all the time.

As I shrugged my sneakers off and laid back on my bunk bed, I suddenly heard the door open again, and Jak entered the room. "I figured you'd be in here," he began, and almost out of instinct, I jumped up from the bunk.

"Back at the Pumping Station," I started in a shaky voice, "What the hell was that?" I didn't have to explain myself any further; Jak understood. He didn't reply, but he closed his eyes once again, and before I could react, he suddenly transformed again with a flash of purple light.

Upon seeing Dark Jak again, I felt fear course through me. I wanted to scream and run away. I nearly did, too, but just as I leaped up from the bunk I was sitting on, I felt Jak gently push me back down by my shoulders. Not once did he attack me; not once did he shed any blood in the room, so after a while, I felt my heart slow down a little bit. I took a deep breath; if Jak wanted to kill me, he would have done it already, which he didn't.

I watched as he closed his eyes again and changed back into his normal self, clutching his head as he did so. "Whoa," I gasped, feeling my body shake after this second exposure.

"This is what they did to me in that prison," Jak explained, pointing towards the door leading out to the Underground hideout, "For two years, I had to go through all those experiments alone. Nobody was there to support me through that pain. But you wouldn't understand, Paige. You don't want to understand."

I couldn't find anything to say as the blond teenager turned and left the room, shutting the door behind him, and as soon as he was gone, I widened my eyes in a sudden shock, buried my face into my pillow, and began to cry.

* * *

I didn't sleep at all during the night.

When I woke up the next morning, I still felt a heavy feeling in my heart. Finding out the origin of Dark Jak was enough to upset me into a sleepless night. Sitting up, I rubbed some sleep out of my eyes as I heard voices in the main room. After slipping my jacket and sneakers on, I went to see what was going on.

"I've got bad news, you guys," Torn started as I entered the room and stood next to Jak and Daxter, "One of the Baron's mining operations is under attack by the Metal Heads."

"So?" Jak asked, narrowing his eyes, "That's not _our _problem."

But Torn glared at the teenager. "It _is _our problem when the foreman's one of the Underground's best informants!" he snapped. Jak, Daxter, and I didn't say a word.

"His name's Vin, and he's just valuable enough to save. Find the warp gate at the Power Station and use it to travel to the Strip Mine so you can rescue Vin's pathetic hide," Torn continued. _Anything to get my mind off…hearing about the experiments, _I thought to myself.

Daxter scowled. "Hey, Tattooed Wonder!" he yelled, "How come _we _get all the crappy missions?"

Jak and I watched as Torn marched over to Daxter and got in his face. "Because _I…don't…like…you_!" he hissed, pushing the ottsel to the floor. _Sheesh, Torn, _I thought, _Unfriendly much? _

"Fair enough," Daxter said, picking himself up.

"Whatever deal the Baron made with the Metal Heads, the city's Eco is almost gone, and his time is running out. If we don't get the kid back on the throne soon, there may not be a city left to defend." Torn sighed sadly.

"Let's go, then," Jak said, motioning towards the door.


	9. Blown Out of Proportion

All right! Here's the next chapter! Thanks again to everyone who's been supporting this story! I owe all of you! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **Only Paige and Eileen are mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

* * *

Pain. Two years of pain through experiments. Dark Eco.

My stomach turned over and over again through the ride to the Power Station. I should have opted out of this mission, but that would have looked suspicious to the others. Still, I couldn't help but continue to think about the gravity of this situation, as well as the simple, but horrifying, conclusion I had come to the previous night.

_I helped out with those experiments, _I thought, _Even though I didn't even know I was helping. That was what Erol and Praxis needed the Dark Eco for, and I gave it to them as they tortured Jak! What have I done? _

"You okay, babe?" Daxter asked, and I shook my head as I checked to make sure the helmet was still secure.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, "Just nervous about this mission. I hope this Vin guy is okay."

"He will be once the Daxtinator takes care of all those Metal Heads!" the ottsel chirped, and I couldn't help but laugh despite the depressed feeling I was experiencing in my stomach and conscience.

Jak suddenly stopped and looked around as soon as we arrived outside the Power Station. "Hey, Dax," he suddenly said, "Isn't this where we first landed? When we went through the rift two years ago?"

"Ya know, buddy," the ottsel replied, "You're right. It is. Because there's the Power Station over there!" He pointed to a tall, red building, where the doors were opening for them. The three of us walked inside and jumped through the Warp Gate, landing in the Strip Mine on the other side. As soon as we arrived, the Metal Heads began to swarm and surround us, and Jak took out his Blaster Mod and began using it. I guessed that was Yellow Eco, then. Everything here seemed to be powered by that substance. I tried not to think about what I had helped do to Jak.

"Man, why couldn't the Tattooed Wonder come out here and do this?" Daxter snapped, breaking me out of my thoughts as the three of us crossed a few moving crates.

"You heard him before," Jak piped up, reloading his Blaster Gun, "He doesn't like us."

"And he doesn't even try to hide it," I added in a low voice, "I've barely seen him crack a smile throughout this whole thing."

"Well, he _does _have the Underground to worry about," Jak reasoned.

"True," I replied, wiping off my Scatter Gun as we made it to the other side.

"Tell me something," Jak began as he pushed a button on a control panel outside the door we were standing in front of, "Why were you and Eileen talking about Erol a few days ago? Do _you _know him?"

_Damn it, _I thought to myself as my heart rate picked up again. "What are you talking about?" I tried to ask as smoothly as possible.

But before the blond teen could answer, the door opened, revealing a room full of flashing lights and computer screens, and a high-pitched scream caught our attention and made our hairs stand on end.

"AHHH!" a voice suddenly cried in a warlike sound, "Stay back!" A small figure came into view, pulled out a pistol, and began shooting at us. Jak and I pulled out our own guns as we took cover behind the door.

"Hey!" I yelled, "Hold your fire!"

"Do something, Jak!" Daxter shouted, "This guy's crazy!" _Tell me about it, _I thought silently.

"Hey!" Jak called out, "Are you Vin? We're here to help! Torn sent us!"

"Stay back!" Vin shouted, shooting at us again.

Jak sighed and continued, "Look, if we were here to kill you, you wouldn't be talking right now!"

Suddenly, Vin stopped. "Oh, friendlies?" he asked, "Oh, thank goodness!" He stashed his pistol into his pocket.

"So, where's the army?" he asked, looking around expectantly.

"Ahh…we're it," Daxter replied.

Vin shrieked. "What?" he asked, "Just you three?" I reluctantly nodded as I gripped my Scatter Gun in my hands.

"What do they think I'm worth?" he mumbled to himself.

"I'm beginning to wonder that myself," Jak muttered under his breath, "If you want, you can stay here and be Metal meat, but Daxter, Paige, and I are leaving before those monsters get back."

"Ahh, no!" Vin shouted, "Wait for me!" The four of us ran towards the warp gate that was located next to the building. Jak, Daxter, and I jumped through the portal, and Vin tumbled inside it as we landed back in the Power Station. The scientist immediately raced over to the computers and began typing away at something. We watched him and noted how badly he was shaking.

"I-I want to thank you guys for saving my butt out there at the Strip Mine," he told us gratefully, still typing furiously on the keyboard.

"We've got to help a friend in need," I retorted as cheerfully as I could.

"And we'd like to thank you for being such a bad shot!" Daxter replied, scratching his head.

Vin sighed. "Ahh, yeah, sorry about that, guys," he apologized, "I'm a bit…uhh…_jumpy _these days."

"Jumpy?" Daxter responded sarcastically after he, Jak and I all glanced at each other, "We haven't noticed!" An awkward silence crept into the room for a minute before Daxter made a face of shock and pointed behind Vin.

"Ahh!" he screamed, "A Metal Head behind you!"

"Ahh!" Vin shouted, "What? What? Where? Ahh! What…oh." After his short panic attack, he calmed down and panted.

"Just kidding," Daxter said, "Nice reaction time, though."

"Not funny!" Vin snapped, "Those Metal Heads have been attacking our mining operations and we're running out of eco! Eco power keeps the city shield walls up, and if the shield drops... well, we can all kiss our butts goodbye!"

"I've got a few surprises for those Metal Heads," Jak piped up.

"You've got to keep the shield walls up until the Shadow figures out what to do!" Vin insisted, "My readings show a drop in eco flow at the Drill Platform. Probably some Metal Head eggs draining away power. So, use the Warp Gate to go to the platform and destroy every Metal Head egg you can find."

"Great!" Daxter snapped, "More Metal Head hunting! Let's get this over with!"

"You two go ahead," I said, "I think I'll sit this one out, too."

Jak narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but nodded anyway, and grabbing Daxter, he jumped back into the warp gate yet again, leaving me with Vin as the older man typed furiously at his computer.

"So you're with the Underground, huh?" I asked, "How'd you get started being an informant for them?"

Vin jumped as soon as he heard me speak, since I hadn't really made the effort in the Strip Mine. "I-I just don't want the M-Metal Heads to break through," he stammered, "And the B-Baron will k-kill me if that happens! He's the one who hired me in the f-first place! Oh, i-if he ever found out I was d-double-crossing him…" He didn't finish his sentence.

"He's going to kill all traitors?" I asked, gasping to myself. If I didn't report back to the Fortress like Erol had ordered, would I be killed, too? Would that technically be double-crossing him?

"T-that's what those propaganda announcements s-say," Vin replied in a trembling voice, "Just l-listen for yourself." He moved aside, and I pressed myself against the door as I caught the latest recorded message from Baron Praxis himself.

"_Defy…and die,_" he growled, and I gasped. He meant business, and to be honest, I was sort of glad to be away from all that for a little bit, even if I was slightly deviating from my "no breaking the rules" goal. But in my case, following all the rules had gotten somebody hurt. If Jak ever found out what I had done…I shuddered just thinking about it. I had to admit that the Underground was pretty brave to do what it was doing. Either that or stupid.

"W-what are you thinking about?" Vin asked, and I sighed.

"I don't even know anymore," I retorted, "All I know is that I want this whole conflict to be over." _Before I get in any more trouble, _I added as a silent afterthought.

Suddenly, the automated door opened behind us, and an unfamiliar voice poured into the room. "Hello, Vin! I see you've been rescued from the Strip Mine," the voice greeted, and when I turned around, I caught sight of a familiar face.

Entering the Power Station was a young woman who didn't look that much older than me, maybe a few years or so. I had seen her around the Fortress a few times, and every time, she intimidated me. KG pistol in one hand, and her communicator in the other, she meant business.

"O-oh, it's you, Ashelin!" Vin stammered, "W-what brings you here?"

"Just checking on the shield wall before I go to the Pumping Station," the redheaded woman, Ashelin explained, pocketing her pistol, "Is everything working the way it should?"

"Y-yes, of course!" Vin confirmed, "Nothing to worry about here!"

"Good," Ashelin said, nodding and smiling a little bit. She then turned to face me, and I met her gaze.

"You look familiar," she said, "You work in the Fortress hospital, don't you?"

"Yes," I reluctantly admitted, "I'm Paige Smith."

Ashelin nodded, but seemed to know what I was talking about. "So _you're _Erol's 'pet'."

Sighing, I reached for my helmet and removed it, revealing my ears. Vin gasped from where he was standing as Ashelin just nodded. She definitely must have seen me around the Fortress before, if she wasn't expressing surprise at the small ears.

"Precursors!" he shrieked, "What happened to your ears?"

"Long story," I assured the scientist before facing Ashelin again, "Erol's 'pet', huh? Is that what I'm known as in the KG?"

"Pretty much," Ashelin said, placing a hand on her hip, "Come with me."

I shot another glance at Vin, who had gone back to typing on the computers after I refused to explain my ears, and then followed Ashelin out of the Power Station. I quickly put the helmet back on and climbed into the Zoomer, occupying the seat next to her as she took off.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

Ashelin made it a point to glance at me, narrowing her eyes in the process. "_I'm _going out to the Pumping Station with my patrol," she explained, "_You're _going back to the Underground hideout."

I gasped. "The Underground?" I whispered, "Are you with them, too?" She didn't reply at first, but I could pretty much guess that answer for myself.

"Yes," she finally told me after a minute or two, "And I suggest you stay with them, too."

This made me anxious in my seat. "Why?" I asked, "Is something going on at the Fortress?"

Ashelin shook her head. "Trust me," she replied, "You don't want to know."

"Well, now that you said that, I _doubly _want to know," I said, "Is Erol mad?"

"Oh, he's mad, all right. You've been reported as missing, along with that other prisoner who escaped. If I were you, I'd lay low for a little bit till this all dies down. That's why I'm taking you back to the hideout." I frowned, which Ashelin picked up on.

"Trust me, it's for your own good," she assured me, and I eased up a little bit as she dropped me off outside the hideout.

"Well, thanks for letting me know about that, Ashelin," I thanked her, feeling genuinely glad that she had told me about what was going on.

"You're welcome," the redheaded woman replied, "And take it from me: sometimes, it's okay to break the rules."

I was sure my mouth was hanging open in shock as Ashelin winked and flew away.

* * *

_It was midday by the time Daxter and I were finished at the Drill Platform, so we decided to head back to the hideout once we returned to the Power Station. "That, surprisingly, was a piece of cake!" Dax commented, and I nodded in agreement. _

_"Less Metal Heads to worry about," I added, leading us back out to the street close to where the hideout was. Along the way, we suddenly stopped as we heard another one of Praxis's recordings. _

_"Don't try to make a fool out of me, Jak_," _he warned,_ "_Just because I haven't killed you yet, doesn't mean I'm not onto you. The citizens of this city worship me, because I offer them safety. All I ask in return is for their lives. I'll find you. And when I do, you'll wish you'd died in prison_."

_I wasn't going to lie to myself; I was angry, but I knew I had to get myself under control so that I wouldn't…change. That was a delicate way of putting it. Dax and I had already heard a few of these announcements about me, so I just learned to ignore them at this point. _

_"It'll be okay, big guy," Daxter assured me, "We'll get him!" _

_"I hope that's soon," I responded once we were on our way again. As we got closer to the hideout, I faced my best friend once more. _

_"I think Paige is hiding something," I announced. _

_"Other than her sliced ears?" Daxter responded, and I snorted into my hand. _

_"Not just that," I said, "Something else. She knows Erol personally. I'm sure of it. She and Eileen were talking about him a few nights ago." _

_"I would be surprised if she knew anybody other than us! She doesn't seem to get out much." _

_"That's for sure," I concurred, rolling my eyes to myself. Paige. She got on my nerves with her self-righteous attitude. If only something could happen to knock her off her high horse a little bit. _

And speak of the devil, _I thought as Daxter and I returned to the hideout and found Paige sitting at Torn's table and playing with a flower hair clip in her hands. She was staring at a mirror situated in front of her as she repeatedly put the clip in her hair and removed it a minute later. "What are you doing?" I asked her as she looked up at us. _

_"Trying to figure shit out," she replied, resting her feet on the table. _

_"Like what?" I asked, "How you're connected to Erol?" _

_Clenching her hand into a fist, she looked up at me and narrowed her eyes. "You know," she began fiercely, "That's really none of your business. You didn't hear anything a few nights ago, if that's what you mean." _

_"Sheesh," Daxter whispered into my ear, "What's her problem?" _

_"You know," I echoed, frowning as I sat down next to her, "For someone so worried about following the rules and being proper all the time, you sure don't have a problem speaking out like this." _

_Paige narrowed her eyes at that. "I told you," she growled, "This is nothing for you to be worrying about." _

_"If there's something you have to tell us, just tell us." _

_"Well, sorry to disappoint you!" Paige snapped, gathering her things and disappearing into a side room, shutting the door behind her. Now I was sure she was hiding something, and I would have to pry it out of her slowly. _

_"Everything all right?" another voice asked, and Eileen and Torn emerged from another room. Daxter and I just glanced at the shut door to our right. _

_"Miss Goody Two Shoes just freaked out on the big guy for no reason!" Daxter reported. _

_Eileen sighed. "I'll go talk to her," she said slowly, though she sounded reluctant to do so, as she disappeared through the door. _

_Once she was gone, Torn turned to face us. "One of my old Guard comrades was sent to the Pumping Station," Torn announced_. _I glanced over at Daxter, who was making silly faces as the light above Torn's head swung back and forth._

_"There's been no word from her patrol," the ex-KG Commander continued, "And after what you guys ran into out there, I'm afraid she may need some help." _

_"Did you say 'she'?" I asked, my eyes widening. _

_"Don't even think about it!" Torn snapped, glaring at me. He then fixed his gaze on Daxter, who he saw was still pulling funny faces. _

_"Stop that!" he fumed, "This is serious, you moron!" _

_"That's right!" Daxter added, "Don't mess with the sugar!" He climbed back onto my shoulder. _

_"This 'friend' of mine has helped the Underground many times before. Go back to the Pumping Station and take a look around. Render assistance if needed. Now get your squirrely ass out of here!" Daxter blew a raspberry at him before I grabbed him and darted out of the hideout. _

* * *

_"Ehhh, what the heck are we doing risking our lives to rescue some old Krimzon Guard hag anyway?" Daxter asked as soon as we had finished plowing through the Pumping Station for the third time, "She's probably got more facial hair than me!"_

_"Beats me," Jak replied, "As long as she isn't like Paige, things should be fine." _

_Suddenly, both of us heard a whoosh behind them, and we turned to see a girl in blue, red, and black clothing, with red hair in dreadlocks and KG markings just like Torn's. "Who the hell are you two?" she demanded, wrapping me in a headlock, much to my surprise. _

_At that point, Daxter's facial expression instantly changed, and he whistled. "Mmm," he began, "I do love a woman in uniform! Want to bark some orders at me? Woof, woof!" The girl raised her eyebrows as I face-palmed myself. _

_"What the hell?" she muttered under her breath. _

_"I'm your soldier in the front lines of love," the ottsel continued, "Waiter, foxhole for two!" _

_The girl frowned and pointed her Eco Pistol at Daxter. "Keep talking," she growled, "And I'll raise your voice a couple of octaves!" _

_"Ahh!" Daxter screamed. _

_"Easy," I coaxed, "Torn sent us to help you." _

_The girl scoffed. "I don't need help," she insisted, "But you might. We've got company." She nodded, and we turned to see an army of Metal Heads screeching and approaching them. _

_"Payback's a bitch," the girl growled as she ran forward and initiated the battle, "And I'm it." _

_"Ahh, look out!" Daxter cried as I artfully dodged a Dark Eco bomb. Switching to my Blaster Mod, I plowed my way through the large Metal Heads, all while making sure the girl next to me didn't get herself hurt, either. _

_"Hey, big guy," the ottsel suddenly piped up, "I wonder what Paige's problem is?" _

_"Yeah, I was wondering the same thing," I replied as I picked up more Blaster Ammo before continuing my assault, "But whatever. She has her own problems to deal with without interfering with us." I was finished trying to figure her out, as far as I was concerned. I had a Baron to bring down. That was all that mattered right now. _

_Once the Metal Heads were all dead, the girl headed back to her Hellcat cruiser. "Watching me take care of those Metal Heads was pretty exciting, wasn't it sugar?" Dax asked in a flirty tone of voice, causing the tattooed girl to roll her eyes. She started the engine on her cruiser and began to take off. _

_"Hey!" Daxter shouted, "Sweet stripes! Gimme them digits so I can look you up sometime! We'll party hard! Big city style!" I sighed and buried my face into my hands, as it was clear this girl was not buying into Daxter's antics. _

_"Tell Torn Baron Praxis is planning something big," she replied, "I think it has to do with that symbol." She pointed to a tree stump, where a symbol not unlike the one on the amulet the Kid was wearing was situated. _

_"What is it?" I asked. _

_"It's the Seal of the House of Mar," the girl explained, "The founder of Haven City. We're being sent out on 'suicide missions' to locate artifacts from the time of his rule. If curiosity's worth dying for, you can ask the blind old soothsayer in the Bazaar named Onin. She might know something about all this. Here's my Bazaar access security pass." She tossed it to me, and I looked down and glanced at the name. _

_"Your name's Ashelin, huh?" I asked as she flew away. _

_"We're even now!" Ashelin replied, disappearing into the sky. _

_"What a woman!" Daxter commented, whistling. _

* * *

As I stared down at the flower hair clip once again, I sighed as I heard the door to the hideout opened and shut. I couldn't stop thinking about what Daxter had said.

"_Miss Goody Two Shoes just freaked out on the big guy for no reason!_"

As random as it had appeared, I didn't mean to blow up at Jak. It wasn't his fault I screwed up big time. I just felt guilty.

"Paige?"

I turned to the door and watched as Eileen entered the room.

"What happened before?" she asked.

"Jak was trying to pry into my personal business and I blew up at him," I answered, "I didn't mean to, though. I was just feeling frustrated."

"About what?"

"Everything!" I shouted, "The Underground, Jak, Daxter, Erol, and the stupid Fortress!" I looked away and huffed again.

"You knew about those experiments," I realized, "Didn't you?"

Eileen paled. "A little bit," she admitted.

"Why didn't you _tell _me I was helping out with those the whole time?" I demanded.

"You didn't ask!" the nurse responded in an equally short voice, "You never asked questions about anything!"

"I wasn't about to question Erol and Baron Praxis! They're my bosses!"

"_Are?_" Eileen echoed, raising an eyebrow, "Or _were?_"

Growling, I picked up the hair clip again. "I don't even know at this point," I sighed.

"Well, you can't be indecisive like this forever," Eileen said, "You're either with us or against us. Take your pick."

Closing my eyes, I turned away from her as I secured the clip in my hair and stared at myself in another mirror. "I'll leave you in here to decide that," Eileen decided, frowning, "And whatever you choose, it better be the right choice. Or else you're going to screw yourself over even more than you already have."


	10. Investigations

Thanks again for the reviews and support! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy! :D

**DISCLAIMER: **Only Paige and Eileen are mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

* * *

As soon as it sounded like everyone was gone, I adjusted the flower clip in my hair before exiting the side room and reentering the main meeting room. That was when I noticed all the pictures and writing on the walls that were behind where Torn would usually stand. I studied the newspaper clippings of various KG and Underground activities, as well as records of when Torn was in the Krimzon Guard…_as the Commander!_ That surprised me the most; I didn't realize he had that high of a position! _He's pretty brave to turn his back on all that, _I thought, _And Ashelin, too._

How were both of them this brave? They weren't afraid of losing their lives? I knew I was!

I continued to peruse through the different posters until one particular blown-up photograph grabbed my attention: it was of Erol. Angry Precursor writing was scribbled all around him, and most of it was wishing the worst possible death on him. I didn't think I hated him quite like that, but I _did _hate the tight grip he had over me. That was when I decided what I wanted to do after that.

I suddenly found myself absent-mindedly touching the flower in my hair, and I took a deep breath. "_Don't you think you should be getting back now?" _Erol had asked back at the Gun Course.

Oh, I would go back, all right, but it wouldn't be for the reason he said. I was going to do a little bit of snooping around of my own. It was dangerous, but I had to do _something _to get my mind off my mistakes.

After grabbing some Green Eco packs and putting my helmet on, I ventured out into the streets again, hijacking a Zoomer in the process. "W-whoa!" I gasped as I tried to get used to the handlebars, but it was awkward. All the other times, Jak and Keira had driven. I carefully cruised through the Slums, praying to the Precursors that I wouldn't hit anyone else, especially a Krimzon Guard.

Somehow, I ended up making it to the Fortress in one piece, and disembarking, I entered through the main doors, where I noticed the wall to my left was caved in. _That must have been when Jak and Daxter destroyed the ammo, _I thought to myself, nodding.

I looked around for a minute and spotted some vents in the corner of the room, and after thinking for a minute, I decided to crawl through there to get into more of the Fortress, just in case there were guards around. It was tedious doing this, but necessary. I wanted to find Erol and Praxis. I wanted to hear what they had to say about all this.

"Are you certain it was the Eco Freak you saw?" I suddenly heard Erol ask somebody, and I peered through an opening in the vent to see Erol, Praxis, and another timid guard standing around a conference room.

"Y-yes, Commander," the guard stammered, "G-going through some of the gates!"

"That boy has just made his punishment worse," Praxis growled, "That will be all, Simmons." Erol let go of the poor man, and I had to feel sorry for him as he ran scared out of the room. I felt like I could relate in a way.

"What in Mar's name does Jak think he's doing?" Praxis snarled, "Turning on the water in the Water Slums again, blowing up the ammunition here, and destroying those turrets I had installed in the Sewers! Does he get any pleasure out of all this?" Erol didn't answer, but there was no need to, for the Baron cut him off before he could.

"Never mind, don't answer that," he said, "Just tell me what you're going to do about it."

"Wring my hands around his neck for what he's been doing," Erol replied casually, which made me sick to the stomach. I was starting to see just how twisted he really was, and I felt even more foolish that I had bought into it.

"Bring him back here before you do that," Praxis added, "I have a few choice words for our renegade." _Sick, _I thought, _No wonder Eileen, Torn, and Ashelin are part of the Underground! _

"What about Miss Smith?" the Baron suddenly added to my horror, "Have you found out what happened to her?"

"No, sir. Nothing. She's still missing. Although…" I held my breath as I continued to listen to the conversation.

"What is it, Commander?"

"Why hasn't she come back yet? She always does what I tell her to do, but these past few days…not so much."

Praxis closed his eyes for a minute. "We'll have to kill her, too, when she comes back," he decided, "Who knows if she's been influenced by the Underground to disobey your orders?"

I had to cover my mouth to keep from gasping. They were going to _kill _me? They weren't really going to do that, were they? _Would _they?

"It seems that the rebels have influenced her in a way," Erol agreed, "If anyone's going to kill her, it's going to be me. She'll never break another rule again." He then pulled out his communicator.

"Guards!" he barked into it, "Change of plans! I want both Jak and Paige arrested and brought back here at the same time. If you find one, you'll find the other. Do not hurt them when you find them. Understood?"

"_Yes, sir!_" some voices on the other end replied, and as Praxis and Erol continued their conversations, I was quickly crawling away. I had to get the hell out of there!

* * *

I had never run so fast in my life.

Once I was out of the Fortress, I began running through the Slums, through the Industrial Zone, and finally to the Garden Section. Once I arrived by the edge of the gardens, I stopped to take a breather for a minute. I had to think about what I was going to do now. It looked like I didn't have a choice but to stay with the Underground. Ashelin and Eileen were right; I couldn't go back now, or else my head would become a trophy for Erol. Shit.

In order to calm my nerves, I began walking around for a little bit, admiring the different colored flowers and trees and overall enjoying the beautiful weather out right now. Back at home, I had never really wanted to go outside, but then again, I wasn't on anyone's hit list at home, either. After discovering that Erol and praxis were going to get rid of me along with Jak, everything changed, and life seemed much more precious now. Maybe it was time I started taking advantage of that.

As I continued to take in the beautiful gardens, I thought more about how Haven City had been having an effect on me, against all odds, as well as who I was when I was with the Underground as opposed to being around Erol and Praxis. With Erol and Praxis, I was always cautious and even frightened at times. I was always careful with the steps I took. In the Underground, however, I was more outspoken, and-dare I say it-a little more daring, but only a little bit. That was when I wasn't put into a compromising situation. I was more willing to take on dangerous feats just for survival, such as shooting a gun, dodging the Krimzon Guard, and lying so that my allies wouldn't get in trouble.

And even though I wouldn't admit it to the others before, the mission with Sig in the Pumping Station _did_ turn out to be a little bit fun, Dark Jak or not. Things were slightly more fun with the Underground, and I was beginning to realize that I liked who I was in the rebel group much more.

"Paige?" a voice cried, and when I looked up, I suddenly realized I had somehow ended up in the Bazaar, with none other than Jak and Daxter standing in front of me and addressing me. I must have been in such deep thought that I was just walking without realizing where I was going.

"Jak! Daxter!" I cried, "What are you doing here?"

"We're going to see Onin," Jak explained in a slightly short tone of voice, "Would you like to join us?"

"I guess so," I replied. I followed Jak and Daxter into the tent, feeling a little excited to meet this Onin character. I remembered passing by her tent multiple times over the last two years, but I had never met her before.

The tent was amazing! Forgetting about Erol and Praxis for a minute, I caught my breath as I glanced around at the ancient relics, the soft smell of incense, and candles that were lit everywhere. A very colorful-looking bird hung upside down next to us, and in the middle of a room, a much older woman sat with her eyes closed and her hands at her sides, as if she was meditating.

"Cool!" Daxter cried, "Check out all the dead stuff!" he reached out to poke the bird when he suddenly opened his eyes and smacked Daxter across the face with one of his wings.

"Ow!" the ottsel snapped as Jak and I recoiled.

"Touch the goods again, rat boy," the bird threatened, "Or you'll be _arrk, _counting with your toes!"

"Easy there, Mr. Colors," I coaxed, "He didn't mean any harm."

The bird glared at me before flying over to the woman in the middle of the room and sitting on her head. "I am Pecker!" he introduced himself as Jak, Daxter, and I shared a quiet chuckle in a rare moment of bonding.

"Y-yes," Pecker stammered, "My mother…she was very vindictive. I am Onin's interpreter!"

In front of us, Onin opened her eyes and began clapping her hands together as blue smoke appeared out of the bowl in between her legs. _Cool, _I thought, and I was sure my eyes were widened in amazement. "Onin welcomes you, blah, blah, blah," Pecker translated, "The usual boring salutations. She says it is good to see you again, Jak." Daxter and I both glanced at Jak.

"But we've never met before," Jak reasoned.

"Before, after," Pecker echoed cryptically, "It's all the same."

"Oh! Oh!" Daxter gasped as he watched Onin move her hands again, "Let me try! Aaah... she wants a... She wants a yakkow bone! A yakkow bladder! No... no... I got it! For many moons... she has... waited for... a juice pop? A jewel shop? Oh... oh... I know, she's got a hairball? A hair lip? A hairy chest?"

"Close," Pecker replied sarcastically, "But _no!_ Onin says you seek answers, _arrk, _about the Tomb of Mar." _The Tomb of Mar? _I thought, _What's the Tomb of Mar?_

"Answers to questions that we never asked?" I responded.

"So what do we need to know?" Jak piped up as well.

Pecker waved us off as he continued to translate for Onin. "She's going on and on about mystical energy channels, evil curses, stupid 'ooooooo' crap," he interpreted, "Forget all that, I'm gonna sum this up quickly, because now you're cutting into my siesta time."

"Well, _sorry,_" I hissed as Jak smacked me in the side. I supposed our semi-friendly terms couldn't last forever, could they?

"Onin wants you to recover three artifacts from the Precursor Mountain Temple. Not two! Not four! THREE! Use the Warp Gate at the northwest side of the city, and bring back the three items you find!"

"Let's get going," Jak suggested, leading us out of the tent, but it seemed that Pecker and Onin were waiting for them to leave before addressing me personally.

"By the way, Miss Goody Two Shoes," Pecker added just before Onin started waving her hands again, "Onin says that perhaps it is time to turn your weaknesses into strengths. To turn your wrongs into rights. It won't be easy, but she has faith in you."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, "How do you know about me?"

"She's a Soothsayer!" Pecker barked, not translating for Onin this time, "She knows a lot about everyone in this city!" _Figures, _I thought, shaking my head.

"So then you know about…everything? Including where I'm from?" I asked as Onin waved her hands again. I had to admit I was a little weirded out. I didn't like it when other people knew about me in strange ways.

"She says she doesn't know where you're from, but she knows it's not from around here!" Pecker translated, "And she knows about the Fortress."

"Great," I mumbled.

"She believes in you, Paige. She sees the good person you are deep down, and she knows you'll do the right thing. There is still time to turn around." Onin lifted my chin up to her eye level and smiled warmly at me, even though she couldn't see me. So as of now, Daxter, Ashelin, and Onin were all telling me the same thing. Maybe it was high time I started listening to them. Nodding, I got up from the floor and went to follow the others to Mountain Temple…only to find Jak and Daxter eavesdropping on my conversation with Onin.

"Whoa!" I gasped, "Were you two listening in this whole time?"

"No!" Daxter insisted, "We were…just admiring all the dead stuff! Right, Jak?"

No response from the blond teenager. "I said, _right, Jak_?" Daxter repeated.

"What were you and Onin talking about just now?" Jak asked as we began heading towards Mountain Temple.

I narrowed my eyes. "Depends," I replied, "How much did you hear?"

"Everything," Jak reported, and I face palmed myself.

"What did you do in the Fortress?" he asked.

"Let's just say I made some mistakes," I answered cryptically, "I did some things I shouldn't have done." _Like helping to turn you into Dark Jak, _I added silently to myself.

"I also wanted to apologize for snapping at you before you left for the Pumping Station earlier," I apologized, "I was just feeling frustrated and I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"Why are you so gung ho about following the rules, anyway?" Daxter piped up.

I sighed and closed my eyes for a minute. "Where I come from," I began, "I nearly got myself into trouble at a party once. I decided to try drinking for the first time ever. Needless to say, that didn't go over so well. After two drinks, I was drunk. Low tolerance, I guess. I wasn't in control, and it scared me. I couldn't think or judge anything correctly, and I didn't remember the night at all when I woke up the next morning. I think that scared me even more that I couldn't remember what I was doing." I took another deep breath.

"Nobody knows about that," I added, "Not even my best friend, Anna. And I usually tell her everything." I was surprised I was confessing all this to Jak and Daxter. I was confiding in videogame characters more than real people.

"I know it doesn't excuse how I've been acting," I continued, "But you asked, and that's the answer I have for you."

"It's an answer, at least," Jak replied, "I didn't think that was what it would be at first."

"You can still have a _little _bit of fun, though!" Daxter added, "I mean, look at me and the big guy!"

I chuckled despite myself. "Yeah, I can tell you guys love what you're doing," I responded, "Looks like we're here. Let's go get a few artifacts!"

"What happened to being cautious about leaving the city?" Jak asked with a smirk on his face.

_Finding out I'm on a hit list changed that, _I thought as I shook my head and smiled to myself. "Let's just say we're all in the same boat now," I quipped.

* * *

**I had to admit I was disappointed over the change in events. **

**Praxis was starting to come down hard on the KG (excluding me, of course), and he wanted the Eco Freak back **_**now**_**. Oh, I would get him back, all right. He would regret ever leaving the Fortress. And so would whoever broke him out in the first place. **

**"Commander!" Lloyd cried from behind me, "My patrol just spotted the prisoner in the Garden Section!" **

**"Why didn't you arrest him?" I asked. **

**"He got away before we could!" the general panted, "Besides, he wasn't the only one there! Paige was with them!" **

_**I knew it, **_**I thought, **_**I knew she was lying.**_** "Next time you run into them," I began, "Arrest them on the spot. Don't let them out of your sight." **

**"Yes, sir." And with that, Lloyd was gone. I had to admit I felt sorry for him; he had gotten in trouble with the Baron for allegedly giving Paige a Scatter Gun, only that wasn't true. The bitch had lied to my face; I didn't think she had it in her to lie for the Underground. Maybe her cautious attitude was a cover up. No matter. I would arrest her, too, along with the Eco Freak. She wouldn't disobey me again. And Jak wouldn't escape a second time, either. I had a plan, and it would only take a phone call to get it going. **

* * *

_Three Mountain Temple Artifacts later…_

"Ooh," Daxter gasped as he reached for the Shard hours later, "This puppy's got some vibrations to it! This baby will put a smile on your face!" He winked at me, and I had to laugh. I could see why my sisters loved his character so much.

"Let's get out of here," I said to the others as we made our way back to the gate. I couldn't stop thinking about our latest mission through Mountain Temple as we tried to find the three artifacts Onin was talking about. As soon as we had jumped through the warp gate, I realized this was the place I had first woken up in. I never thought I would be back here again, and to be honest, it was good to be back. Despite all the Metal Heads that were in the area, I still found it peaceful in its own little way. And I had to admit that plowing through Mountain Temple _was _a little fun, and I guessed my expression showed that.

"Are you _finally _learning how to have fun?" Daxter asked, and I laughed again as I swatted at him.

"Maybe," I joked, "This mission was oddly…satisfying. Let's just leave it at that."

All of a sudden, we all heard Jak's communicator go off. "_Jak, this is Krew,_" Krew crooned through the small speaker, "_I need you back at the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon. I have some…ahh…business I need to discuss with you, mmm?_"

"Sheesh!" Daxter spat, "Can't we ever get a _break _around here?"

"Apparently not," Jak replied, "Let's go."

Once we returned to the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon, we found Krew waiting for us, and he had a sly grin on his face. "Good, you're back!" he announced happily.

"Ready for the next mission, Krew," I replied, grinning a little bit.

Krew cleared his throat, and we faced him. "I have a proposition for you, Jak," he announced, "Racing is the biggest sport in the city! Erol is the undisputed grand champion. He's crazy and dangerous on the track. Haha. My kind of guy. Only a fool would dare race against him, eh? And that's where you three come in. A client of mine is looking for a fast driver for her racing team. Here's a security pass to get you into the stadium section." He tossed a Green Security Pass to Jak, who pocketed it right away.

"Uh, and your contract, with just a few trifles for me. I've ah, already signed your name to save time, mmm." Daxter took the contract from Krew and began to read the whole paper in its entirety.

"We the racers hereby agree to give Krew all proceeds from race earnings, endorsement fees, broadcast royalties, syndications residuals, vehicle sponsorships, mall appearance fees, collectible card assets, fast-food tie-ins, use of likeness rights, talk show deals, clothing lines, all print rights including book, novella, comic, pamphlet, ticker tape, neon sign and bathroom graffiti designs..." he read, taking a deep breath as we began to fall asleep.

"You don't need to read all of it," I fumed, but Daxter ignored me and continued.

"Toy rights, shoe lines, mood rings, game rights. _Game rights! _Vitamin endorsements, city kickbacks, movie deals, and of course, all death and dismemberment accident insurance claims," Daxter finished, wiping his forehead.

"Don't tire yourself out," Jak chided.

"Heh heh heh," Krew chuckled, "We can work out the tiny details later. If you can get from here to the Race Garage near the Stadium in less than 3 minutes, my client said that she would consider letting you drive for her team. Make me proud, mmm?"

"Come on, guys," Jak said, motioning to us. As we grabbed the closest Zoomer next to us, we began to keep track of the time. As we drove to the Stadium section through the Gardens and the Bazaar, I couldn't help but think about Krew's proposition. He wanted Jak to try and race against _Erol_? That was a lot to ask of the renegade. Was he good? Could he possibly beat the Grand Champion?

It was in that moment when I realized who we were about to talk to. _Keira, _I thought, _Maybe I'll stick around with her for a little bit so I can finally speak to her alone again._

"We're here!" Daxter announced, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Already?" I asked, surprised, "It's been almost three minutes?"

Jak nodded as he led us inside the garages and up to the familiar green curtain.

"Uhh…hello?" he called out cautiously, "Krew said someone was looking for a racing driver?"

"I'm busy right now," the mechanic replied from the other side, "You must be Krew's new errand boys. Look, I don't mean to be rude, you did get here fast, but I'm not interested in any new drivers right now, and I've got work to do." I rolled my eyes to myself. That wasn't what she said the other day.

"Is there anything we can do?" Jak asked.

"No!" Keira shouted, "I'm…uhh…working on a…secret vehicle project!"

"Okay, sorry…"

"Listen, if you think you've got the guts to race in this town, try taking my prototype JET-board out on the Stadium Course. Beat the Stadium Challenge, and maybe I'll consider you for my team."

_A jet board? _I thought, _That sounds pretty cool._

Jak and Daxter seemed to think the same thing. After Jak was finished checking her out through the curtain, he and Daxter left to go test out the jet board.

"A jet board, huh?" I asked, "Were you working on that, too, in your spare time?"

The curtain opened, and Keira emerged from behind it. "Yeah," she replied, "Besides, it'll get that guy off my back for now."

I laughed. "Well, they're gone, so you don't have to worry about that," I assured her, "So what's been going on here?"

"Nothing new," Keira reported, "Just working on my secret vehicle project."

"And Erol doesn't know about it?"

"Surprisingly, no," the mechanic replied, "And I've usually told him everything over the last two years. It's nice to have a few secrets of my own every now and then."

She was right. Maybe that was some of my problem, too. "Well, good luck with your project," I said to her, "I'm sure you'll complete it in no time." And after waving, I watched as she disappeared behind the curtain once more, and I decided to head back to the hideout.

* * *

Fortunately, I wasn't tackled to the ground this time when I returned to the hideout, but I noticed only Eileen was sitting at the table. "Where's Torn?" I asked as I removed my helmet.

Eileen looked up. "Ashelin came here, so they're talking about something to do with the Baron," she replied, "Where are Jak and Daxter?"

"Currently in the Stadium section testing out a jet board," I reported, "I went to meet up with them."

"Really?" Eileen asked, "So I guess you've made a decision?"

I sighed. "Somewhat," I answered, deciding not to tell her about my adventure in the Fortress, "I'm staying with the Underground. I don't know what else I'm going to do here, but I'm not going back to the Fortress."

"That's the spirit!" Eileen cried, hugging me, "I _knew _you'd come to your senses!"

In that moment, I glanced over at the poster of Erol again, Precursor scribbling and all. "Yeah," I agreed, "Me too."


	11. All Falls Down

I know this is a fast update, but I just had to put this chapter up! :D Thanks again for taking the time to read this story. I've also been meaning to announce that I've started backing up some of my stories here, just in case something goes wrong with my computer or my account.

**DISCLAIMER: **Only Paige is mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

* * *

_"Never thought we'd be back to see old sack of nerves again," Daxter commented as we entered the Power Station again after receiving a tip off from Krew's client to try and get into the Baron's Palace through one of the support towers. The whole time, even as she was telling us not to bother her anymore, I couldn't help but feel like she sounded familiar to me. _

_ As always, we found Vin hunched over the computers as he typed frantically. "Vin, buddy," I began nonchalantly while Dax smirked, "We need a favor." _

_ "I can't help you with your Eco bill!" Vin stammered, and Daxter and I just glanced at each other. _

_ "We need you to switch on the access elevator in one of the Palace's support towers," I told him, and he nearly jumped out of his skin. _He's just as scared as Paige always is, _I couldn't help but think to myself, _Where'd she go, anyway?

_ "Sheesh!" the older man gasped, "That's part of the old B-Zone Power Grid! It hasn't worked for years!" _

_ "Well, if it's too hard for you, I understand," I said, smirking as well, "Power stuff can be tricky." _

_ "Tricky?" Vin yelled, "Hmmph." He then began to type on all sorts of keyboards and push different buttons. _

_ "I could route the B-Zone conduit lines through the bypass grid, shunting past the eco rings to connect the inductor tubes in series, then back through the outer wall indicator helix and across the resonant flux routes into the number five capacitor array. Assuming the circuits in the GX75B can handle the surge, I could link the phase loop lines into the primary coils, and presto, you've got instant lift juice!" _

_ Daxter and I just glanced at each other, and I had to admit I was impressed. "Vin, you're a genius!" I cried. _

_ "Heh heh," Vin chuckled weakly, "Actually, Mar was the genius. People said he made most of this stuff long ago - the shield-wall system, the eco grid. Anyway, to get that elevator moving, you gotta find and turn on all the old B-Zone power boxes located in the city. There are five of 'em!" _

_ "That doesn't sound so tough," Dax commented, and I nodded in agreement. _

_ "No. Except those power boxes are guarded by motion-sensing turbo cannons! But, if you can destroy the cannons, and switch the boxes on, I can do the rest. Just don't tell the Baron I ever saw ya!" _

_ Waving at him, we made our way back outside, where we immediately found the first box, and taking out my Scatter Gun, I took out the turbo cannon before turning on the switch. The KG chased us for most of the time, but we managed to avoid them by hopping onto Zoomers and traveling through different parts of the Slums in order to find the other switches. On my shoulder, I watched as Daxter closed his eyes and then opened them again, and I realized this was the first night we had done some missions straight without resting. After we investigated the Baron's palace, we would go back to the hideout and get some sleep. _

_ Once all the switches were turned on, we cruised back to the Stadium section and found the support tower that had been turned on and made our way up the fast-moving elevator. What we saw in front of us surprised us: all sorts of defenses had been put up. That and the fact that it was starting to rain as we made our way past all the guns and hot plates that would have stalled anyone else. "What do you think we're gonna find here, buddy?" Daxter asked once we finished hopping over the last turret gun. _

_ "I don't know," was all I could say, but I realized that was the most honest answer I could give. What would we find here? _

_ We continued to walk until we spotted a large, glass window that looked down into the throne room. Positioning ourselves carefully, we peered down as we saw Praxis and Erol talking to someone on a communicator. _

_ "I told you," Baron Praxis growled, "I'll have more eco by week's end. We'll transport it directly to your nest, as promised!" _

_ "A deal is of no value if you can't deliver, my dear Baron!" the Metal Head leader replied, "I grow impatient with your puny gestures! Give me the agreed upon eco soon, or the deal is off! And your precious city will pay the price!" Erol disconnected the call, turned to face his boss, and balled his hands into fists. _

_ "He's toying with us!" the Commander fumed, "Let me lead an assault on the nest before it's too late! I can take them!" _

_ "Patience, Commander," Baron Praxis cooed, raising his hand, "No one has ever penetrated the Metal Head Nest before. You know that. I've seen what comes of such foolish actions." _

_ Erol sighed as Praxis raised his hand to the right side of his face, which was covered in metal. The Baron nodded solemnly. _

_ "No," he continued, "Strength is their weakness. We play helpless. We train them to eat from our hands, and then…move forward with the plan!" Baron Praxis pointed at Erol. _

_ "Tell Ashelin to up her patrols!" he commanded, "I want that Tomb found!" _

_ "But your daughter has not been…agreeable," Erol replied, bowing his head a little bit. _

_ "Hmm," Praxis sighed, "I'll see to that problem. One way or another." _

_ "Ashelin's the Baron's daughter?" I whispered to Daxter in shock. _

_ "And find that child!" Praxis boomed, "If you'd spent half as much time looking for the little brat as you spend flirting with that mechanic girl, we would have pinned his royal ass to a wall long ago!" _

_ "That mechanic girl has a name," Erol fumed defensively, "And it's-" _

_ "I don't care! You promised me you would find Jak and Paige, and so far, I'd say that isn't working out for you. As soon as you leave here, I want you to start looking harder! Understand?" _

_ "The Baron's after Paige, too?" Dax whispered to me, "Why?" I shrugged as Erol continued, and suddenly my friend looked like he was about to sneeze. _

_ Erol huffed and relaxed a little bit. "As you wish," he quipped, "With enough persuasion, I'm sure our spy will…" Suddenly, he trailed off; in that moment, Daxter sneezed, and I covered his mouth as I rolled over onto my back in order to hide from their line of sight. _

_ "What was that?" Erol demanded, drawing his pistol and glancing up at the glass roof. _

_ Praxis also looked up for an instant as Erol narrowed his hazel eyes. "Probably one of the guards doing repair work up there," he mused, "Anyway, I'm going to lead a city sweep right now. I want you to find Ashelin and General Lloyd and work with them from now on. Got it?" _

_ "Yes, sir." He then balled his hands into fists. _

_ "I've already gotten word that Paige is with the Eco Freak," he continued, "I can't imagine why, though. After all, she was very useful with supplying all that Dark Eco. She never missed a day with that." At this, I gasped and widened my eyes in shock. _

_ "We'll get her back," Praxis assured him, and with that, the two of them were gone. _

_ As we stood up again, I had to take some deep breaths in order to process everything. "You okay, buddy?" Dax asked me. _

_ "It was all an act," I mumbled to myself, "This whole time when I thought she was being overly cautious…it was all an act! She's not innocent! She was helping Erol and Praxis with those experiments!" I could have changed right then and there, but then decided against it. I didn't want to give away our position. _

_ "Who would've thought?" was all Daxter could ask as we climbed down in order to get back to the hideout. Paige was going to answer for a lot when we got back. _

_ Before we could ponder the situation anymore, a rumbling noise greeted our ears, and soon, Baron Praxis himself was hovering in front of us in a large machine gun. We stopped in our tracks. _

_ "So," the Baron roared, "We have a rat in the walls, do we? A rat and his boy, it seems!" We clenched our teeth and glared at the Baron. He was the last person we expected to run into. _

_ "Back for more Dark Eco treatments?" he shrieked at me, "Well, allow me to put both of you out of your misery!" With levers from inside the contraption, Praxis raised two machine guns and began shooting at us. _

_ "Run!" I cried, ducking my head and running towards the closest wall. I spotted a Krimzon crate and broke it open to collect more ammo. Daxter kept his head down to avoid the bullets. I didn't care so much if I got hit, but I didn't want him to get hurt. _

_ "Stay close, Daxter!" I shouted as I whipped out my Blaster gun and began shooting at Baron Praxis. This was a sudden turn of events. How had Praxis discovered that we were there? _

_ "Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" the Baron cackled as he continued shooting at us until his gun flashed red. He flew over to the gate to our right and began to recharge. _

_ At that moment, I decided to begin taking down his ship even more any time he recharged his weapons. After constant shooting and reloading, we began chasing Baron Praxis through the different sections of the Palace. As we did, the sky darkened even more and the rain changed from a light shower to a downpour. Lightning flashed above our heads and thunder rumbled in the distance. _

_ "You cannot hurt me!" he bellowed as he sent bombs flying at us, "I am Baron Praxis, and I will make sure you all pay for your treachery!" _

_ "Look out!" Daxter screamed. I felt one bomb just barely graze my hip, but I did feel the burn a little bit as I continued to shoot. _

_ "What's the point, Jak?" Praxis taunted, "Why are you even bothering to fight me? You're helping a city who is afraid of you, who doesn't want you around. So tell me, renegade: is it all worth it in the end? If you stop now, I will take away your pain. You'll never have to think about how Smith is one of the reasons you are the way you are. And here I thought she was supposed to be on your side. Guess things don't always work out that way, do they?" _

_ "I'm not listening to you!" I replied as I shot the cruiser and delivered some serious damage to Praxis. _

_ "All right!" Daxter shouted victoriously, "Now, he's hurting!" Praxis crashed through the last gate and began releasing fire tornadoes from his machine as Dax and I caught up with him. While the tornadoes spun around us, the Baron tried to run us over a few times. _

_ "Incoming!" Daxter yelled. I rolled out of the way as the Baron swooped towards us again. _

_ The Baron's ship began to spark as I shot at it a few more times. Suddenly, the bottom exploded, leaving Praxis to recover quickly and fly towards the ledge. _

_ "The dark powers I gave you can't protect you forever!" Baron Praxis yelled at me, "I made you, so I can destroy you! And tell Paige that she's going to pay for her rebellion! We'll meet again soon!" He flew into the stormy night. _

_ "Yeah, whatever!" Daxter called after him, "Bye bye!" _

* * *

From the hideout, all I could hear were piercing alarms throughout the city, and I couldn't imagine what had happened. Getting up from my bed, I left my helmet on one of the tables and entered the main conference room just as Torn was talking to a few guests. As soon as I stepped foot by the table, the older man, along with a little boy no older than two turned to face me, and I quickly covered my ears to avoid the looks I always got because of them.

"Oh, hello there," the man greeted with a warm smile on his face, "I don't think we've met before. My name is Kor. Who are you?"

I wasn't sure if it was just me, but…I was getting weird vibes from this Kor character. I tried to remember if my sisters mentioned anything about him. Nope. Nothing came to mind. "Paige," was all I said in response, "Nice to meet you, Kor."

"You can uncover your ears, too, by the way. We've already seen them just now." I sighed and slowly removed my hands, exposing my short ears once more.

"Those are some rather interesting ears you have," he continued, and I folded my arms and just stared neutrally at him.

"I'm going to pull a Torn here," I replied, turning to Torn and apologetically adding, "No offense." Torn shrugged noncommittally.

"None taken," he replied in a low voice.

"So you're not going to explain how you got them? Or where you're from?" Kor translated from my answer.

"Nope," I answered, "It's really not important."

Kor shrugged and announced, "Well, I was just talking with Torn and I asked if this young boy could stay here for a while." He pointed to the Kid.

"We can keep him here for the time being," Torn decided. I finally glanced at the young boy, who had light, blue eyes and short, blond-green hair. He was so cute! But who was he in relation to the game?

"Then it's settled," Kor said, his voice raspier than ever, "He shall stay here until we can think of what to do about the war."

At that moment, the door to the hideout opened, and Jak and Daxter returned, soaked to the bone. Upon realizing this, Torn faced them and frowned. "The city's on high alert!" he snapped, "What the _hell_ did you two do?"

"Us?" Daxter stammered, "Uhh…_nothing_! We've been…umm…sightseeing! Right, Jak?"

"Really?" Torn scoffed, "Then why are the guards looking for a dangerous guy with light hair, a blue tunic, and a rabid orange _rat _on his shoulder, and a girl with short ears, a flower in her light hair, and blue eyes?"

"Ahh…could be anyone! Orange is the new black this season!"

"Look, we climbed up to the Baron's Palace and…we tripped a few alarms," Jak explained meekly.

"Oh, right. That, too," Daxter muttered.

"_What?_" Torn boomed, "I didn't authorize a strike on the-"

** "**Hey, we kicked the Baron's ass!" Jak snapped, interrupting Torn as the Kid stared back and forth between them, "Unfortunately, he escaped."

"_And _we overheard a secret meeting with the leader of the Metal Heads!" Daxter added.

At this news, Kor's expression changed instantly. "You _saw _the Metal Head leader?" he asked, his voice full of curiosity. I glanced at him and began drumming my fingers on the table in front of us.

"No," Jak replied, "He was on some communicator, but we heard him talking with Baron Praxis."

"The Baron is bribing the Metal Heads with Eco!" Daxter shouted.

"Hmmph," Kor said, "It will never be enough."

"But the Baron's gonna double cross 'em!" Once again, Kor's eyes widened, which did not go unnoticed by me. He was getting a _little _too curious about all this, to be honest. Did nobody else notice it but me?

"Is that so?" Kor asked calmly, "Well, our good Baron's wonderful 'charm' must have angered someone, because there's word from the Wasteland that Metal Head armies are on the move again."

Jak turned to Torn and demanded, "Why didn't you tell me Ashelin was Praxis's daughter? What's your connection with her?"

"That's none of your business!" Torn growled, slamming his fist onto the table, "Since you've stirred up the wumpbee's nest, you and whiskers here get to move four of our people to new safe houses. Shuttle each agent to a location they specify. Move all of them without any casualties! Don't screw this up, Jak!"

Jak and Daxter turned to leave, but not before Jak gave me the ultimate death stare, which did not go unnoticed by Kor. For the first time in a long time, I felt fear course through me, and I wondered why he was looking at me like that. Without saying another word, he turned and left.

"Looks like you've angered him in some way," Kor commented once the duo was gone, "What was that all about?"

"Like I'd tell you," I mumbled, "I barely even know you."

Kor tilted his head to the side and then grinned again, and I knew this wouldn't be the last I'd see of him. "Well, I'm off now," he announced, "I will be back to check up on all of you. Great work so far!" He left the hideout. I watched him leave and then approached the Kid.

"So who's the little boy?" I asked Torn as I sat next to the two-year-old.

"We don't know for sure," Torn explained, "The Shadow found him. That was all he said."

I shrugged and watched as the Kid took some colored pencils and began to draw on a piece of paper. I had done some babysitting before, but something seemed different about this Kid. I guessed I would find out what it was.

* * *

_**Later on that night…**_

After the Kid was safely tucked in the bed closest to where Jak, Daxter, and I slept, I tiptoed back out into the main meeting room, where I took out the flower clip again and stared at the defamed poster of Erol. In fact, I was so lost in thought that I didn't hear the door to the hideout open.

"So when were you going to tell me?" a husky voice asked, and I turned around to see Jak and Daxter standing behind me, back from shuttling the four Underground members to their locations.

My heart began to beat again, and Daxter did the smart thing in that moment: he fled into a side room. "I don't know what you're talking about," I lied, though I had an inkling as to where this was going to lead.

"Stop with the lies, Paige!" Jak snapped, "I know everything! I know how you know Erol! I know about the _Dark Eco you gave them over these last two years!_"

I gulped and felt my face pale. "Jak," I began, "I was going to tell you, but-"

"When were you going to tell me?" he repeated, "You knew you couldn't keep that a secret from me for a long time! That 'follow the rules' crap was all an act, wasn't it?"

"No, it wasn't!" I shouted in response, "At the time, I didn't even _know _that was why they were using the Dark Eco! I had no idea! You've got to believe me, Jak!"

"That's the oldest excuse in the book! You act like you're an angel, but you're really just as bad as Praxis and Erol! You're not as innocent as you think you are!"

I narrowed my eyes in defense as I raised a finger and pointed it at the renegade. It took a lot for me to get angry like this, and he had pushed me where no one else had tried to. "Now wait a minute, Jak!" I jumped in, "You can call me whatever you like, but _do not _compare me to those _bastards _in the Fortress!"

"Why not?" Jak fired back, "Maybe you weren't there while they actually ran the experiments, but you still gave them the necessary tools! You still allowed it all to happen! You didn't bother to ask questions? You didn't bother to find out what was going on?"

"I _did _ask! But they didn't give me answers! Erol told me it wasn't wise to ask questions, so I didn't."

Jak continued to glare at me, and I noticed some Dark Eco sparking from his skin, and I prayed that he wouldn't turn into Dark Jak. "You're _pathetic!_" he cried, "You're weak! You don't question anything! You just follow orders even if you know it's wrong! For once in your life, why don't you stop acting like someone's _pet _and _think for yourself_?"

I felt my face turn red in anger. Even though Jak was coming down really hard on me, what made me even angrier is that I knew he was right. He was right about everything. And in my mind, I finally felt something snap. Grabbing the poster of Erol, I tore it down from the wall and ripped it into a million pieces, throwing the small pieces on the ground, and then I grabbed my helmet, my Scatter Gun, and some Green Eco as I made my way to the door.

"Where are you going?" Jak demanded, grabbing my wrist.

"To blow off some steam," I growled, prying his hand off me and running into the night.


	12. On the Flip Side

All right! Here's the next chapter of "Living in Sin"! Thanks again for the reviews! :) By the way, just in case anyone was wondering, or if you didn't know this already, I didn't make up the Erol poster in the previous few chapters. If you look behind Torn in some of his cutscenes, there's a black-and-white poster of Erol with all sorts of Precursor writing on it. Just thought I'd mention that!

**DISCLAIMER: **Only Paige, Eileen, and Lloyd are mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

* * *

"_I am the face of Haven City_," one of Baron Praxis's stupid announcements blared through the Slums, "_Without my strength, there would be no city._"

_Boom!_ With my Scatter Gun, I shot the propaganda stand, startling everyone around me, but I couldn't care less. _Fuck you, Praxis,_ I thought to myself, surprised that I was cursing him so strongly in my mind, _And you too, Erol_. I spat on the ground close to where it used to be situated and laughed hysterically at the smoldering stand. Reloading my Scatter Gun, I glanced around as other people looked at me as if I had two heads. "Someone call the Krimzon Guard!" someone shouted.

_No way, _I thought as I heard another propaganda announcement close by.

"_To all who defy me: I am watching you. I am everywhere. I am this city!_"

I quickly found the next stand and shot that one as well, spitting on this one, too, and leaving my mark. "Has she lost her mind?" I heard someone else scream, "She's going to get herself in trouble!"

_Trouble? _I thought, _Cool._ I blew some smoke away from the Scatter Gun and hid on a side street as a few guards strolled by, clearly looking for me. So the Baron wanted me dead, too? Well, I wouldn't go down without letting him and Erol know how I felt!

"_Report all wrongdoers._"

"Looks like I fit the bill, Praxis," I muttered, but just as I was about to shoot this stand, I felt someone grab my arm and drag me into an alley far away from everyone else.

"Paige!" a familiar voice gasped, and I turned around to see none other than General David Lloyd.

"Lloyd," I began, grinning to myself as I strapped the Scatter Gun across my back, "How nice to see you. How do you like me breaking the law now?"

"Cut the bullshit, _Smith_!" Lloyd snapped, "This isn't funny! You got me in trouble with Praxis! You're lucky he decided to spare my life because of _your _stupid lie!"

I laughed mercilessly. "I needed a scapegoat," I told him breezily, "And you were the first one on my mind."

"You bitch!" Lloyd growled, "You're going to get it now! Erol told me he wants to personally kill you and that other _freak_!"

"Just let him try," I challenged, and Lloyd seemed surprised.

"What's happened to you?" he asked, "You're not the girl I first arrested two years ago."

"You're right, I'm not!" I snapped, "I'm through with the KG, I'm through with Praxis, and I'm _especially _done being Erol's little _pet_! While you're at it, I want you to pass on a message to our dear Commander." Lloyd narrowed his eyes in anticipation, and I moved forward and stepped on his foot so that he wouldn't be able to chase after me.

Smirking, I grabbed him by his shirt collar, leaned in close, and whispered, "Tell Erol…that I'm breaking all the rules tonight." Letting go of him, I grabbed the Zoomer closest to me and took off before he could arrest me. It felt great to be free…for now. I knew Lloyd would come after me again, but I would worry about that later. For now, I had to get all my anger out.

The next place I found myself entering after driving for some time was the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon, where I immediately spotted Krew, along with a blonde barmaid who I had seen in the Underground before, but hadn't really spoken to (her name was Tess, according to Krew). Whistling, I sat down at the bar itself as Krew hovered in front of me.

"Hello, Paige," he greeted, "What can I do for you tonight, mmm?"

I was feeling energized right now…and willing to try new things. "Can I try one of your drinks?" I asked, "What's the strongest thing you've got?"

Krew smirked and slid a glass of what looked like brandy across the bar and towards me. "This is your first time trying one of those, eh?" he chuckled as I downed a little bit of the drink. It burned a little bit going down my throat, but I continued to drink it all the same. _Sometimes, it's good to go a little crazy, _I thought to myself as I finished the drink and began to feel a pounding headache, instantly reminding me of what had happened the other time after I had two drinks at that party. However, I no longer cared. Screw the rules! They hadn't done me any good in this damn city, anyway! I ordered another drink and proceeded to down it as I heard a voice behind me.

"_Paige?_"

I nearly spit out my drink when I saw Eileen standing in front of me. "Hey!" I greeted, waving my hands, though my head continued to pound.

"What are you doing here?" Eileen asked.

"Going crazy!" I shouted, laughing as I held my drink up in the air.

"More like getting drunk!" Eileen cried, "I heard you caused a scene in the Slums a little while ago."

"Hell yeah I did!" I replied in a slurred voice, "Screw the rules! I'm not Miss Goody Two Shoes anymore!"

"But you don't have to be completely reckless, either!" Eileen shouted as she ordered a glass of water from Tess, probably for me.

"Ha!" I exclaimed, "HA! All everyone kept saying before was for me to stop following the rules to a T, and now you're telling me the opposite!"

"Paige," Eileen sighed, "You're drunk. You don't know what you're saying."

"You don't understand!" I shouted, "You don't know what it was _like _being stuck with Erol for _two years_! Never being allowed to do anything or always having to walk on eggshells around him! Or always worrying that one little mistake would cost me my life! I'm finally free now, and I intend to take advantage of it!" I swallowed more of my drink after I said this.

"Jak found out about what I did," I told Eileen as she sat down, "And he yelled at me. It was completely justified, too, but still. I'm tired of being so _good _all the time."

"You don't have to do a 180, though," Eileen told me, sitting down and forcing me to drink some of the water, "Just learn to balance a little bit. That's all we were trying to tell you."

I sighed and shook my head as I accepted the water from Eileen and took a sip. "Well, I've done it now," I commented wryly, "I've raised hell in the Slums. Now, they're really going to rake me over the coals for that. But I've got to admit that it was a little fun defying Praxis." I laughed to myself as I spotted Tess grinning to herself.

"Just come back to the hideout," Eileen said soothingly, "Try and apologize to Jak again. We just want you to loosen up a little bit, but don't become too destructive. Besides, don't you think Jak deserves an apology?"

I groaned as I rested my head on the bar for a minute. "All right, I'll take my poison," I decided as Eileen took me by the arm and led me out of the Saloon as I stumbled and nearly fell on myself. Looked like my night of going crazy had come to an abrupt end.

As soon as we arrived back in the hideout, we found Torn, Jak, and Daxter waiting for us. "What happened?" Torn demanded.

"Oh, nothing," I replied breezily, waving a hand out, "You don't have to worry about us for a bit."

"_Whoa_!" Daxter gasped, "Were you just drinking the strong stuff? Your breath _reeks_!"

I laughed. "Just a sip," I insisted, though my speech was still slurred.

"Sounds like more than that," Torn muttered, "I heard you destroyed some of the propaganda stands!"

"You bet I did!" I laughed, giving him the thumbs-up.

"You might as well have shot Erol in the face," Torn growled sarcastically, "What the hell were you thinking?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but suddenly felt sick, and ducking into the washroom, I felt a wave of vomit exit my mouth and into the closest sink.

* * *

_**The next morning…**_

_Ugh, _I thought as I woke up the next morning and felt my eyes glaze over. My mouth felt dry, and my throat burned a little bit after throwing up the previous night.

My head throbbed, and as I clutched it, I thought about last night. I remembered destroying some of the propaganda stands and then going to drink at the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon. _Holy crap, _I thought, _What was I thinking last night? _

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up," a voice began, and when I flipped over to my side, I caught Jak sitting on the Kid's empty bed and smirking at me.

Growling a little bit, I grabbed the closest pillow and chucked it across the room towards him. He just dodged it and continued to smirk. "What the hell was up with you last night?" he asked, "Coming home drunk from the Hip Hog? That doesn't sound like you, Paige."

"It's your fault," I replied, narrowing my eyes, "You yelled at me and insulted me!"

"_You _gave Erol and Praxis Dark Eco and then tried to keep it from me! How else was I supposed to react?"

I sighed and sat up, rubbing sleep out of my eyes and grabbing the flower hair clip from the night stand next to me. "All right, you caught me," I decided, "You were right, Jak. You were right about everything you said last night. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about what happened sooner." I realized that my apology was genuine.

"I'm listening," the renegade replied as he glanced down at his Morph Gun.

"I honestly had no clue that they were pumping Dark Eco into you," I explained timidly, "I guess I should have figured it out sooner, or at least seen the signs, especially when Eileen began questioning everything Erol did. I guess I was just following stupid orders. No wonder Erol picked me over Eileen." I sighed and clenched my hands into fists.

"I tried to get away a few times," I continued, "Especially when I would really begin to feel suffocated, but there was always that veiled threat in Erol's voice. He never outright said it, but I knew he was threatening to kill me if I tried to leave. I didn't want to die, but if I had known what that Dark Eco was going towards, I wouldn't have done it. I'm so sorry, Jak. I didn't mean to help them hurt you. I should have been more assertive. Instead, I let them crap all over me!" I looked away for a minute as I buried my face into my hands. I wasn't going to cry, but I felt more and more foolish.

Jak didn't say anything right away. Not that I expected him to, but I wanted at least a reaction or something. When I looked away again, I watched as he just stared at me with those intense, blue eyes, which were darkened in his serious attitude. Without saying a word at first, he got up from the bed and began to head towards the main meeting room. "Where are you going?" I asked him, "You don't have anything to say about this?"

At this, the blond teenager smirked. "I'm not letting you off _that _easy," he said, and I sighed. I should have known he wouldn't forgive me after one day. I was going to have to work hard to get back on his good side. I didn't want him to compare me to Praxis or Erol _ever _again. I thought about what Onin said about me turning my wrongs into rights. Maybe I could start now.

Torn and Daxter were standing in the main meeting room as Jak and I entered. "Look who's finally awake," Torn said, facing me and smirking as well. What was it with all these guys and smiling smugly at me?

"Very funny," I replied in a tired voice.

Torn chuckled to himself before turning to face all of us. "Scouts report movement in Dead Town," he announced, "Creatures moving towards the Sacred Site. Just as before."

"What happened…uh…_before_?" Daxter asked, and at this, Torn's eyes suddenly darkened with his obvious frustration over the situation.

"Metal Heads broke through the old city wall," he explained, "We fought them, but then the Baron pulled back, leaving everyone outside the 'new barrier' to die. Only the Shadow stayed and somehow stopped the attack." He closed his eyes for a minute. It just occurred to me that I _still _hadn't seen the Shadow, despite being in the hideout much more often than Jak and Daxter.

"And now you expect us to go out there again?" Jak protested.

"You catch on fast!" Torn commented, "If you prevent the Metal Heads from reaching the Sacred Site, the Shadow will be... most grateful. He might even ask to see you." He then took out something small and round and pushed it across the table towards Jak.

"Hey, I'm probably wasting this, but here's a Vulcan Barrel for that pea shooter of yours. Believe me, you're gonna need it!" Torn announced as Jak attached the mod to his morph gun. He and Daxter grinned in excitement again, causing the ex-KG Commander to roll his eyes. He then faced me and slid an Eco Pistol across the table towards me.

"Here, Paige," he said, "You're gonna need something for long-range attacks."

I glanced up at him as I accepted the gun. "Thank you," I gasped, though I was unsure why he was willing to give me another gun. He hated me!

Torn nodded shortly, and then I followed Jak and Daxter out of the hideout.

None of us said a word the entire time as we rode towards Dead Town again, but I surprisingly wasn't feeling as anxious about leaving the city this time. Maybe it was because I was starting to come out of my shell a little bit.

The gate opened ahead of us, and as soon as it did, we were already pulling our guns out and advancing through the ruins of Dead Town. "Mar, I can't believe this was a town at one point," I commented, "I wish I could have seen it when it was still a functioning town."

"Looks like it was an amazing place," Jak agreed, "Let's keep going." We climbed through the ruined towers, jumping over filthy lakes and taking out hordes of Metal Heads yet again. I was anxious to see the Vulcan Fury in action, and as I was reloading my new Eco Pistol, I watched as Jak used it to take out some of the more powerful Metal Heads, and the bullets flew out of the barrel in rapid motions, almost like a blur. I assumed it was Blue Eco, in that case. Once we made it with only a few scratches, we found the Sacred Site as Jak reloaded his Vulcan Fury.

"Oh, _Precursors,_" I gasped as she gazed upon the hut that was considered the Sacred Site. However, I was shocked when Jak and Daxter also gasped, clearly recognizing the hut.

"Is that…is that…No, it couldn't be!" Daxter stammered, "That's not…"

"Samos's hut!" Jak gasped, his mouth hanging open in shock. I didn't say a word, but continued to watch the two of them.

"But…what?" Daxter spluttered, "How? When? Where? Why?"

"We're in the future, Dax," Jak whispered, "This…horrible place is…_our world_!"

"Jak?" I asked gently, "Daxter?" I picked up on how upset they both were over this, and even though Jak didn't show it, he looked like he wanted to cry.

"This must be what Sandover Village turned into after the Rift Gate incident," Jak deduced.

I moved forward and sighed sadly, feeling their pain along with them. "I'm sorry," I apologized, though I wasn't sure what Rift Gate incident they were talking about. Now wasn't the time to ask about it, though.

"Let's go," Jak ordered, and we retraced our steps as we exited Dead Town yet again.

The ride back to the hideout was quiet as well, as there was still tension in the air between me and Jak. I had to wonder: would he ever forgive me? _Could _he forgive me?

Along the way, Torn announced to us that we would finally be meeting the Shadow. I had to admit I was nervous: the Shadow sounded intimidating. "Maybe the Tattooed Wonder's finally learning how to trust us!" Daxter chirped, and Jak and I both shook our heads.

"Oh, Torn," I sighed, "He's so mysterious."

When we returned to the hideout, we found Torn standing in front of the table and waiting for us, and his arms were folded. "The Shadow has decided it's time to meet you," he announced.

"All of us?" I asked.

"All of you," Torn replied, "Even you, Paige." I blushed.

"Why is that place in the old ruins so important to you?" Jak asked.

"There's a powerful energy force at that old house," Torn replied, "The Metal Heads are drawn to it."

"No kidding! Daxter and I used to know the guy that lived there."

Torn suddenly moved aside to reveal a rather short man with light green skin, an explorer's outfit, and wooden platforms on his feet. On his head was moss with a tree log on it, and a few birds rested on the log itself. "So," he began as he turned around to face us, "You're the new recruits who keep getting into trouble!"

_Wow, _I thought, _So this is the Shadow. _When he turned around, we saw he was wearing glasses and had a white mustache and goatee. He grinned, and I could tell I was in the presence of someone important.

That didn't seem to matter to Daxter, though. "Oh, no!" he groaned, "Not you!"

"What?" I asked anxiously, "What's wrong? You know each other already?"

"Welcome to our humble Underground movement!" the Shadow continued, "I am known as the Shadow, but you may call me Samos. And you are?"

"Paige," I introduced myself, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Samos." I shook his hand as Daxter jumped down from Jak's shoulder.

"Sheesh, Jak!" Daxter spat, "We went through all that to meet his holiness, old log on the head, old Grandpa Green?"

After face-palming himself, Jak asked, "Don't you know who we are?"

"Sorry, kid," Samos apologized, "Never seen you before. And I never forget a face. Especially one that ugly." He pointed at Daxter.

"And so it begins," the ottsel mumbled, and I chuckled in spite of myself.

"How is this possible?" Jak asked, "We came through the Rift with you. Into the future! Right?"

"Yeah!" Daxter agreed, "You used to look older than dirt and uglier than a knotted stump. What gives? Did you get a little nip and tuck while we were gone?" By now, both Samos and Torn were frowning in frustration with the ottsel.

"Listen boys," Samos quipped, "I don't know what kind of twigs you've been chewing on, but I don't have time for this. We've got a Baron to overthrow, a child heir to protect, an invasion of Metal Heads to stop, and a city to save. I'd say the schedule's pretty full! Besides, I haven't gone through any rifts. I hate teleporting!"

"Sure sounds like the old Samos," Daxter whispered to us, and I just shrugged.

"Right now I need you to go to Haven Forest and root out a few Metal Heads. That forest is my source of power, but I can't protect it much longer. Chase down and destroy all the Metal Head scouts you find there. Good luck... and welcome to the fight!" Samos grinned at us, and I couldn't help but smile back. I liked him already.

"You coming, Paige?" Daxter asked, facing me, and I shook my head.

"Nah, you two go ahead," I told them, "I'll catch up with you later." Jak narrowed his eyes for a split second.

"Don't worry, I've got myself under control" I assured him quickly, "I'm not going back to the Fortress." Jak just nodded curtly and left.

Torn sighed. "Those two…" he mumbled, and I turned to face him.

"Why'd you give me this Eco Pistol before?" I asked, holding up the gun he had given me before we went to Dead Town, "I thought you hated me!"

Torn smirked and then entered a side room with the Shadow, leaving me to pout before another door opened, revealing Tess.

"Hey, Tess," I greeted.

"Hi, Paige!" Tess replied in a bubbly voice, "Feeling better from yesterday?" She grinned as I groaned and clutched my head.

"I'm better, thanks," I assured her, "Where are you going?"

"To the Hip Hog to continue spying on Krew," she explained, "Want to come?"

I ran my finger across the table before I decided I would go. "Sure," I said, "I need to get out of here anyway."

"Let's go." After snagging a Zoomer, Tess and I began heading to the Hip Hog.

"So what do you think of Jak and Daxter?" I asked her, "Have you met them yet, other than the first time outside the hideout?" I remembered she hadn't said a word to any of us, but talking to her now, she seemed much friendlier. She reminded me of Anna in some ways.

"They stopped by the Saloon the other day to collect money bags for Krew," Tess explained, giggling, "Daxter's so adorable! In a cute pet sort of way!"

_Wow, _I thought, shaking my head. "They both seem like decent guys," I admitted, "But I wouldn't go as far as _cute._"

"Oh, lighten up," Tess teased.

"I intend to," I replied, "So have you found out anything good from Krew?"

Tess sighed. "Nothing yet," she said, "I'm hoping to find out some dirt today." She giggled again. Oh, boy.

We were both in for a surprise when we arrived at the Saloon, however. Krew was there, as always, but he looked frantic about something. "Make yourself at home," Tess said, "I'm going to go to work now."

I nodded. "Good luck," I told her. She nodded and approached the bar. I glanced around for a minute, adjusting my helmet as I spotted a whack-a-mole looking game. Curious, I was just getting ready to approach it when I suddenly heard another familiar voice.

"Proud of yourself?" it asked, and I froze as I whirled around to face none other than…Erol. _Damn it, _I thought as I spotted him at a table situated further away from some of the other patrons. I swallowed, but stood my ground. I wasn't going to let him see my fear anymore. I clenched one of my fists at my side as I anticipated his answer.

"So you're breaking all the rules now?" he continued, "Do you really think that's a good idea?" He was quoting the message I had passed onto Lloyd the previous night; the Commander must have obviously gotten it fairly quickly.

Taking out the flower clip I carried around with me, I slapped it on the table and pushed it towards Erol. "Here," I hissed, "Take this. I don't want it anymore." He didn't move or react.

"Here," I repeated a little more insistently, "Or I'll destroy it myself."

Erol laughed and shook his head. "You can do better than that," he chided, and I frowned.

"Look," I started, "Just take the clip and forget that I ever worked for you. In fact, forget that I even exist." I realized why he wasn't making a move to kill me: there were too many people around. And he couldn't risk tarnishing his precious _image._ Ha!

Suddenly, Erol stood up and began to pace towards me as I subconsciously backed up against the whack-a-mole game. He held up the flower clip. "This is who you are when you're in the Fortress with us," he began, and I wondered where he was going with this.

"And _this_ will be you when I get my hands on you and that Eco _Freak_!" He crushed the hair clip right in front of me before throwing it down to the ground and stepping on it. I glanced down from him to the floor and then back to him again as I frowned, my face betraying nothing.

"We'll see other again soon," he promised, "_Real _soon." And with that, he glared at me and walked away.

"I'll be waiting for that day, I muttered, shaking my head and exiting the Hip Hog, breaking into a run once I made it outside.


	13. The Power of Speech

All right! I've finally got the next chapter up! I thought this site was going to be down for a while. It wouldn't let me check my Story Stats for a while. Anyway, thanks again to everyone who's been reading so far! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **Only Paige and Lloyd are mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

* * *

After fleeing from the Hip Hog, I suddenly found myself wandering around the gardens again. This had unofficially become my favorite spot in Haven City. I passed by the unconventional blue and green plants and sighed as I took in the sight again. Nearby, some cows rested in different pens (although I guessed they were yakkows from what Daxter had said a few days ago), and I had to admit that this city was starting to grow on me in a strange way. It wasn't the most peaceful city, but it was nice change of pace from the suburban town I had lived in for most of my life. Speaking of home, how was I going to leave the game, anyway? I hadn't even thought about that yet.

Suddenly, I heard a faint explosion in the distance, and I wondered what it was for a brief second. I also wondered if Jak and Daxter were finished in the forest yet.

_Thump, thump._ What was that? Bracing myself, I slowly turned around to see a purple, gorilla-like animal approaching me. _What the hell is that? _I asked myself, but he seemed scared. Or lost. Just like me.

"Hello, there," I greeted in a friendly voice, "What are you doing here?" He didn't answer, but he looked up at me with wide, orange eyes.

"Are you lost?" I asked. No response.

"There it is!" a Krimzon Guard suddenly shouted out of nowhere, "Send another Hellcat right away!"

I suddenly understood. "Oh, I see," I said in understanding, "You're on the run from the KG, too? They're trying to lock you up, aren't they?"

The animal just groaned sadly as it continued to stare at me, and I took its arm in mine and began to lead it away.

"Come on," I said gently, "I'll get you somewhere safe. The KG can go shove it!"

"Hey!" a sharp voice cried behind me, "Stop right there! Come back with that Lurker!" _Lurker? _I thought as I continued to run. No, I wasn't going to stop. Spotting a tall hedge to my right, I ran towards it, pushing the Lurker ahead of me so that it could hide first. Before I could follow suit, I felt someone grab my arm.

"Smith!" a familiar voice growled again, "What the _hell _do you think you're doing?"

I closed my eyes; it was Lloyd again. I whirled around to face him, grabbing his wrist to stop him from raising his gun and shooting me.

"Helping a lost soul," was all I said, "I told you, I'm breaking all the rules now."

"So I've noticed," Lloyd replied, "But to be honest, I miss the old Paige."

I was surprised at this, so I loosened my grip a little bit. "You mean the Paige who just laid down and took orders from those assholes in the Fortress?" I asked, narrowing my eyes in contempt.

"No."

"Then what do you mean?"

Before Lloyd could answer, we all suddenly spotted fast-moving bullets falling down around us. _A Vulcan Fury! _I thought, _That must mean…_

"Get in the Zoomer!" a husky voice ordered, and when I looked up, I saw Jak sitting in the driver's seat of a Zoomer while Daxter held the Vulcan Fury in his hands.

"There he is!" Lloyd snapped, "Shoot him!"

Whipping out my Eco Pistol, I held it out in front of me as I dove into the bushes and grabbed the Lurker I had kept hidden. I felt bullets barely graze my neck, and I thanked the Precursors that none of them hit me.

"Give back that Lurker!" Lloyd hissed as he tried to grab me.

"You found the last Lurker?" Daxter asked in surprise, "Hurry up and get in! We'll take you to Brutter!"

_Who's Brutter? _I thought to myself as I watched Jak switch to the low hover zone, allowing the Lurker to climb into the passenger's seat. Before I could get in myself, I felt Lloyd grab my arm.

"Paige!" he yelled, "Stop helping the Eco Freak!"

"You're just Erol's new puppet!" I snarled, raising my pistol and pulling the trigger.

"Ahh!" he gasped, stumbling backwards, and I was horrified for a minute. Even though I was a terrible shot, I could have sworn I still hit him. _Oh, shit, _I thought, _I just shot someone!_

"What are you waiting for, toots?" Daxter screamed at me, "Get in the Zoomer!" Without wasting another second, I climbed in with the Lurker as Jak floored it, taking off towards the Bazaar, where I figured Brutter resided.

"You've been trying to find Lurkers?" I asked them in a shaky voice. I needed _anything _that would distract me from the possibility that I had just killed one of Erol's subordinates.

"It was a mission from Krew," Jak explained in a neutral voice, "He and Brutter are in close contact."

"So you were just at the Hip Hog?" I asked anxiously.

Jak narrowed his eyes. "Yeah," was all he said, "Why?"

I took a deep breath. "Erol wasn't there, was he?" I questioned, "I was there sometime before you guys arrived and I ran into him."

"Nope!" Daxter piped up, "Didn't see him!"

"Good," I sighed, glancing down at my hands as we continued to cruise through the air, having finally lost the Krimzon Guard at last.

"Thanks for saving me back there," I thanked Jak, glancing over at him, but he didn't say anything in response, and I sighed. I still had a long way to go before we could ever become at least acquaintances.

We finally arrived at Brutter's stand, and I was surprised when I saw another Lurker with glasses, which I guessed was Brutter. "I wonder who domesticated these Lurkers over the years," Jak said to Daxter as we climbed out of the Zoomer. I gently helped the Lurker get out of the seat in the process.

"They used to be evil?" I asked in surprise.

"We used to fight these babies all the time back in Sandover," Daxter explained, but before he could say any more, Brutter suddenly grabbed him and started kissing all over the top of his head.

"Little orangey warrior!" he cried, "You have do great thing for Brutter and Lurker people!" _He can speak? _I thought, _He must not be like the other ones._

"Eek!" Daxter shrieked, "No toucha the 'do'." I chuckled in spite of myself, even though my mind was still reeling from shooting Lloyd.

"Oh, sorry," Brutter apologized, "You great guys! Brutter not forget. Brutter pay you back. You see!"

"How will you do that?" I asked.

"You see!" Brutter repeated, and after smiling and waving at him, I followed Jak and Daxter back to our Zoomer. I glanced down at my hands again and sighed.

"Damn," I muttered, "I hope I didn't kill him."

"Ahh, he'll be fine," Daxter assured me while Jak continued to ignore me as usual, "You didn't hit him anywhere vital."

"I wasn't looking when I shot him," I replied, "I could have hit him in the chest!"

"Trust me, babe. You didn't."

I seriously hoped not.

* * *

By the time we arrived back at the Underground hideout, we found Samos waiting for us. He had contacted Jak while we were driving back, saying he had another task for us, so I was surprised to see him standing outside with the Kid and a funny-looking cross between a dog and a crocodile. "Hi, Samos!" I greeted, waving.

"Hello, Paige," Samos replied, "Staying out of trouble, I hope?"

"I guess," I mumbled, feeling guilty over shooting Lloyd once more.

"What's going on now, old bump in the log?" Daxter asked.

Samos sighed and face-palmed himself. "I want you three to escort the Kid over to Kor at the Power Station," Samos said to us, "He promised to look out for the boy, and I'm just too busy to baby-sit right now. Oh, and take the Kid's crocadog with you!" I froze where I was standing. Kor? He wanted us to take the Kid to _Kor?_ I didn't like this, but since I wasn't the leader of the Underground, I couldn't protest.

The crocadog stepped in front of Samos and growled, bearing his teeth. _Yikes, _I thought, _He's not very friendly._ "Oh. Ha ha," the Underground leader chuckled nervously, "Isn't he sweet?"

"So, what's this kid's story?" Jak asked.

"I found him just wandering the streets," Samos explained, "But that amulet around his neck means he may just be the lost heir to the city. Take the kid and the mutt to the Power Station. Watch out for guard patrols and defend the kid at all costs. Oh... and if you happen to lose the crocadog..." The crocadog growled again.

"He sure is friendly!" Daxter commented sarcastically. I watched as Samos tossed me a leash that was meant for the crocadog. The animal just growled at me as I tried to put the leash around his neck.

"Well, you just don't like anybody, do you?" I muttered. The crocadog snapped at me, and I quickly withdrew my hands.

Suddenly, Jak shouted next to me, "Hey, Kid! Wait! Come back!" I glanced up as the Kid began to run out of the alley we were standing in, and the crocadog broke free of my leash and ran after the others. Sighing, I got up again, still holding the leash in my hands as I went chasing after the crocadog, Jak, and Daxter.

"We've gotta protect him!" Daxter cried, and in that moment, Krimzon Guards suddenly appeared.

"Uh oh! Guards!" Daxter yelled, and the KG approached the little boy as he innocently held his hands up in the air as if he were being arrested.

Without a second thought, Jak whipped out his Blaster Gun and started shooting at all the guards while I tried to keep the Kid close to me. "How do you like it when somebody fights back?" the renegade snapped. The crocadog whined as we continued onward, but then hissed at me when I tried to take the Kid's hand in mine. Sighing, I let go and allowed him to run in front of me so that I could keep an eye on him at all costs.

It seemed to take forever, but we finally spotted a two-seat Zoomer, and I helped the Kid and the crocadog (despite the fact that the Kid's pet was still growling at me) get into the passenger's seat as Jak continued to shoot the Krimzon Guard. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" he challenged, finishing his assault and climbing into the driver's seat.

"Keep your head down, Kid!" he said to the boy, and the Kid lowered his head as Jak began to drive towards the Industrial Zone. The crocadog cried again as I lowered myself over the Kid so that I would hide him from the KG's view. We could feel a few bullets strike our Zoomer, but we managed to make it to the ramp leading to the Power Station. The crocadog and the Kid immediately jumped out of the passenger seat, and Jak, Daxter, and I followed suit. I began running towards the Power Station with the Kid while Jak covered for us, shooting all Krimzon Guards in sight.

"He's just a boy!" Jak snapped as he began to follow us. A few more guards tried to stop us, but Jak managed to defeat all of them as we finally completed the mission.

"We did it," I gasped.

"Whew!" Daxter added, "We made it! Let's get these two to Kor!" I sighed and reluctantly followed them into the Power Station. As soon as we spotted Kor in front of us, I felt my stomach turn. I didn't know what it was about him, but I knew _something_ was wrong. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

"Samos told us to bring the Kid to you," Daxter announced, and Kor finally faced us, tapping his walking stick on the ground.

"Thank you," he thanked us in his traditional raspy voice, "I'll be sure to keep him close." The Kid ran over to him, and as soon as the older man wrapped his arm around the boy, I felt a rush of adrenaline course through me, and I suddenly pictured myself attacking him and shouting at him to get away from the Kid.

The crocadog, however, seemed to be thinking along the same lines as me, for it suddenly sprinted over to Kor and growled at him as well. For once, I was glad the mutt was so ill-tempered.

"How sweet," Kor commented sarcastically, and I smirked, which did not go unnoticed by the older man.

After the crocadog was finished growling at Kor, Jak suddenly knelt down next to it, and we were all surprised when the dog stopped growling and actually smiled as the blond teenager pet its head. "Hey!" I said, "How come he's not growling at you?"

"Interesting," Kor mused, "That insufferable mutt's never liked anybody but the boy before."

"I guess I'm just good with animals," Jak replied, grinning at Daxter, who was giving him a mock-annoyed stare.

"I hope we have enough eco to keep the Metal Heads at bay," Kor said, "During my travels in the deep Wasteland, I saw some of the bigger ones. Awesome creatures."

"We saw a big one coming out of a Rift once," Daxter added, "He was _uuuuuuugly_!" Jak and I covered our mouths and tried not to crack up.

"Hmmph," Kor snorted, "I have some valuable information for you. The Baron is conducting an excavation at the Dig. He is still looking for that ridiculous Tomb. Frankly, I don't believe it exists, but you might as well go out there and disrupt his operation just in case." This whole time, the crocadog had its hind leg lifted and was urinating on Kor's walking stick. I covered my mouth again as I laughed out loud this time, and Jak and Daxter both glanced at me as if I had lost my mind. _Good boy, _I thought, watching as Kor lifted the walking stick and shook it dry.

"Knock down all the scaffolding at the site. That should set him back. Here is an Air Train pass to get you out of there." We all watched as the Kid gave the Air Train pass to Jak, and the two of them held hands briefly before the older teen decided to get going.

"We're going to head out to the Dig," Jak announced to me in a neutral tone yet again, "We'll see you later."

I nodded. "Okay," I said, "I'll see you later!" The two of them nodded and exited the Power Station, and I waited for them to leave before I would start going somewhere else. Maybe I would go back to the hideout. Or go see Keira. But could I risk going to the Stadium, especially since she was so close to Erol?

"You don't like me very much, do you?"

I whirled around as Kor leaned back on some of Vin's control panels and crossed his arms. _Damn it, _I thought, unclenching my fist.

"Did I ever say I didn't like you?" I asked in response.

"You don't have to," Kor replied, "I think I've picked up enough of your nonverbal cues."

_What a freak, _I thought. "Honestly," I began, "I don't know what your game is, but I'm just…being cautious."

Kor chuckled. "You're just being cautious?" he echoed, "I'd say that's worked out for you pretty well over these years."

"_Excuse me_?" I hissed.

"I know what you've done, Paige. I've been around the city." He grinned slyly, his eyes darkening as I became angry.

Stomping my foot on the cold floor, I pointed a finger at the older man and snapped, "It's people like _you _that make me cautious!"

"I don't know why you dislike me so strongly when I haven't done anything to you. I've only been helping out the Shadow and the Underground. Maybe _you're _the one who can't be trusted."

"They _can _trust me," I argued as I sat down on the floor and tucked my knees into my chest, "They just don't know it yet." I buried my face into my hands as I took some deep breaths to calm myself down.

I flinched when I felt hands clamp down gently on my shoulders. "There, there, now," I heard Kor whisper to me, "I know it's hard having the two of them against you. After all, you _did _hurt Jak."

_Eww, _I thought as I looked up and pushed him away from me. "Don't touch me," I hissed, "Don't _ever _touch me again!" Leaping up from the ground, I began to hastily march out of the Power Station just as the creep spoke up again.

"You're just being paranoid, Paige," he said, "You know you can't be trusted."

_Shut up, _I thought to myself as the Power Station door slammed shut behind me.

* * *

**The noise level in the Fortress was louder than usual today, and at first, I couldn't figure out what had happened. **

**"Commander!" one of the guards shouted, "Lloyd's been shot!" **

_**Great, **_**I thought sarcastically, face-palming myself as I shook my head. "I'll be right there," I replied, speed walking to the hospital in time to see Lloyd hooked up to some Green Eco machines. His arm looked to be in bad shape, and I realized he was shot there. He was sleeping, but as soon as I entered the room, he woke up again. **

**"What happened?" I demanded, moving to stand next to him. **

**"That bitch," he hissed, wincing in pain, "She shot me! She fucking **_**shot **_**me!" **

**"Who?" I asked. Lloyd sighed and repeatedly closed and opened his eyes. **

**"Paige," he grumbled, "Jak was rescuing the Lurkers from the trade, and she managed to find one of them. He arrived to pick her up, and when I tried to arrest them, she shot me!" **

**Now I was the one that closed my eyes. If Paige wasn't in trouble at the Hip Hog before, she was really going to get it now: for disobeying us and helping Jak, two bad ideas in the KG book. "Commander," he continued before I could say anything, "Is it true that you only see me as your new puppet?" **

**"Where would you get such a ridiculous notion from?" I finally spoke up. **

**"That's what the traitor said before she shot me. She implied that I wasn't worth anything to you as a soldier." **

**I sighed. "General," I began, "You should know better than anybody else that I value all my men. Don't let Paige or Jak doubt you. Understand?" **

**Lloyd looked unsure, but he nodded anyway. "Yes, Commander," he said, slipping back into slumber to sleep off the Green Eco medications. Nothing was going the way I had planned, and I couldn't afford to upset the Baron even more than I already had. He was already expecting me to find the Eco Freak, but now with all this…I just wasn't sure. **

**That was when I suddenly remembered my plan. Taking out my communicator, I pressed a few buttons until I reached the person I had contacted the other day. "Eileen?" I began sweetly, "This is your Commander speaking. Meet me at the Stadium in ten minutes. I have some business to discuss with you."**


	14. Blurred Lines

Next chapter is here in another fast update! This is what happens when I have to stay up till midnight waiting to register for classes next semester. XD Thanks again for the reviews, and enjoy!

By the way, the reason it looks like I added this chapter twice was that it didn't work when I first tried to upload it. And like I said at the beginning of the story: this isn't JakxOC, just in case it seems that way in this chapter.

**DISCLAIMER: **Only my OCs are mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

* * *

_**Hours later, and back at the hideout…**_

I hadn't even realized I was crying until I reached up and wiped my face of the tears running down my cheeks. I was just losing my mind over the course of almost one day. _Precursors, _I thought sadly, looking down at my hands, _What's happening to me? _

I had to admit it felt good to break the rules, but at the same time…I didn't want to lose track of myself, either. Maybe that was what Lloyd meant earlier, before I…I shot him. I shuddered. I didn't want to think about it. Or Kor and his chilling words to me in the Power Station. _Bastard, _I thought angrily, clenching my hands into fists.

Suddenly, I heard the Underground door open and shut, and Daxter's voice caught my attention. "One less operation to worry about, thanks to me!" he was saying, and I assumed the two of them were finished at the Dig.

The voices got louder until the door to our room opened. Following that, the demolition duo entered and began taking their shoes off. "Oh, Paige!" Daxter piped up happily, "Guess what?"

"What?" I asked tiredly.

"Tess invited all of us to the Hip Hog!"

_I bet he likes her, _I thought as I sat up and faced the two boys. "Well, I'm sure you guys will have a lot of fun," I choked, "I can't afford to go back there. Not after running into Erol."

Jak narrowed his blue eyes at me. "You're going to let one bastard stop you from walking the streets?" he asked harshly, "You were doing just fine earlier before we showed up."

I gaped at him. "How much of my run-in with the KG did you see back in the gardens?" I asked.

"All of it," Jak replied, "You managed to hold your own."

I had to smile. "You really think so?" I asked.

"I didn't think you had it in you."

I sighed. "I know you didn't," I replied, "Jak, I don't want to be the person I was in the Fortress anymore. Always taking orders without thinking about it in the slightest, letting people walk all over me."

"You don't _have _to stay that way," Daxter said, "You can change it if you don't like it, ya know!" I looked away.

"Come on!" Daxter whined, "Just come out with us! I won't sic Jak on you or anything."

I chuckled to myself. "But you guys hate me," I argued, "I helped out with those experiments. You compared me to Erol and Praxis!"

"Oh, I'm still mad about that," Jak assured me, "But you seem too…I don't know…_innocent_ to truly be evil like they are."

"Gee, thanks," I mumbled. I didn't think I was so innocent after these last few days.

"Well, we're gonna go meet Tess!" Daxter chirped, "We'll catch you later?"

I took another deep breath as I realized again that Jak was right. Maybe I was being a little too paranoid. Maybe I didn't have to be so afraid of Erol. After all, Jak wasn't afraid, and his experience with the Commander had been far worse than mine.

"I guess I could come for a little while," I decided, grabbing the helmet and getting up to follow them.

"That's the spirit!" Daxter cheered, and I stopped myself from rolling my eyes. He could be so obnoxious sometimes.

When we emerged onto the streets again, we spotted a one-seat Zoomer, even though it looked big enough to fit at least two people. Jak hopped on as always, ready at the handlebars.

"Okay," I began, "Now what-"

_Whoosh! _Before I could get the rest of my sentence out, Jak was already flooring it, driving the Zoomer slightly faster than usual. "Ahh!" I screamed as I held onto his back tightly.

Up ahead was a wall, and it looked like we were about to crash right into it. "Look out!" I cried, but Jak continued to drive right towards it before he veered off to the left at the very last minute.

I sighed in relief as Jak started cracking up in front of me. "You're crazy!" I cried, punching him in the shoulder, "What was that all about?"

"You're hilarious when you're scared," Jak commented, smirking at me.

"Oh, now you're trying to mess with me, aren't you?" I replied in the same tone he used, "As payback for the Fortress?"

"Already done," Jak said, "Hold on tight." I gulped and squeezed his waist even tighter now as he started speeding again through the Industrial Zone, cutting corners and narrowly dodging pillars and Krimzon Guards. He and Daxter seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely, and over time, I slowly began to relax as well. Jak wasn't trying to get us killed. I hoped.

The ride suddenly became more pleasant, and as Jak and Daxter began to laugh, so did I. This was turning out to be more fun than I had thought it would be. This was also definitely the equivalent to joyriding back at home. Anna would die if she saw me now.

"WOOHOO!" I found myself shouting once we arrived in the Port and began flying above everyone else.

"See!" Daxter cried triumphantly, "I _knew _we'd get you to lighten up a little bit."

"I'm working on it," I assured him as we entered the Hip Hog. Out of instinct, I briefly looked around to make sure Erol wasn't here. Nope. Didn't see him. Thank the Precursors.

"Jak! Daxter! Paige!" a familiar voice cried, "You made it!" We looked up to see Tess standing at the bar, as usual, and Sig was situated in front of her.

"Yes, we did, baby!" Daxter replied, "Have no fear! The Daxtinator is here!" Tess giggled, and Jak and I glanced at each other as we took our seats on some stools.

"Has he always been like this?" I whispered to him.

"Since Sandover," Jak replied, and I nodded in understanding. I would have to ask him about Sandover later.

"Hello again, cherries," Sig greeted, smiling proudly at us, "I see you've been causing quite a stir around the city. Just like true soldiers!"

"I guess we have," I replied, grinning as Tess poured drinks for all of us. I could tell Jak was like me in that he didn't drink very often, but even he was downing some of the cranberry vodka Tess had poured for him. I picked up the small cup in front of me and studied it for a minute.

"Go on!" Daxter said encouragingly, "It ain't gonna kill ya!"

I examined it for another minute before deciding to take a sip, enjoying the slightly burning sensation in my throat. "Just let me know when you've had enough," Tess whispered out of earshot of the others, and I knew she was referring to my drunken escapades from the night before.

"Thanks, Tess," I whispered in response, and she winked as she handed a drink to Sig.

"See, this ain't so bad!" Daxter said to me, "Right, Paige?"

"No, it's not," I quipped, chuckling as I took another careful sip of my drink, "I'm working on it. Trust me."

"So, Daxter," Tess began, "You told me a few days ago you had a story for me. Wanna tell it now?"

"Oh yeah!" Daxter cheered, climbing down from Jak's shoulder and standing in the middle of the bar.

"What story?" I asked as Jak silently chuckled into his hand.

Daxter exaggerated in clearing his throat. "So there I was, toe to toe with FIVE of the nastiest Metal Heads you ever saw!" he told us in an excited voice, "Slime oozing from monstrous jaws! Teeth sharper than daggers! Slowly, all TEN of 'em surround me. But do I surrender? No! I summon my highly trained killer instincts, and pounce! Hya! Chooy! Whaa! HAA! And when the dust cleared, there were TWENTY less Metal Heads in the world!"

"Oh, _Daxter_!" Tess sighed, "You're amazing!"

"Yeah, I know," Daxter replied, "Scratch me there." He pointed to his back, and Tess began to massage it.

"When'd you do all that?" I asked.

"He's just exaggerating," Jak whispered to me.

"Am not!" Daxter snapped, overhearing us, "Even _Sig _thinks it's a great story! Right, Sig?"

"Quite a story there, golden boy," Sig agreed, "I guess you're just the 'animal' I need for another dangerous gig. Combat Metal Heads have now been spotted right here in Haven Forest! These new bad boys have special camouflage, so they're tough to spot but I'm sure with your 'killer instincts' you'll manage. Go to the forest and take 'em all out."

"Oh, boy, a mission!" Daxter exclaimed, "Ready for this?"

"You bet," Jak said, running for the exit to the Hip Hog, "Let's go!"

"Right behind you!" I cried, putting my drink down and following them.

* * *

**The Stadium section was full of life by the time I arrived at one of the benches close to the. As I sat down, I checked my watch. It was almost time. **

**A shadow loomed over me, and when I looked up, there was Eileen. "Nurse Peterson," I began, shaking her hand, "Thank you for coming." **

**"I don't have a lot of time," she replied in a short tone, "What do you want, Erol?" **

**"Here. Sit. I don't bite." I patted the spot on the bench next to me, and glaring at me, she sat down. **

**"You and I have been working together for a long time after I saved your life," I told her, "So you should know why you're here." **

**"What business do you want to discuss with me?" Eileen asked. **

**"You're still spying on the Underground for us, right?" **

**"Unfortunately," she grumbled. **

**"What was that?" I asked. **

**"Nothing, nothing," she sighed, "Yes, I'm still spying on them. Why?" **

**"Have you picked up any valuable information on our renegades?" **

**"Paige and Jak?" Eileen responded, "I haven't even seen them since I drove Paige home when she was drunk." She then looked up at me, narrowing her eyes again. **

**"With all due respect, Commander," she continued, "I have to ask: do you really have to be so hard on them? They're just kids! They don't know any better!" **

**"Are you actually starting to care about them?" I replied, smiling smugly at Eileen again, "From where I stood over the years, you just yelled at Paige." **

**At this, she faltered, which amused me to no end. "I had my own reasons for being harsh with her, Commander," she admitted. **

**"Just remember who you are," I reminded her, pointing a finger at her, "You're a spy for the KG. Don't let your emotions get in the way. And remember who you owe your life to." **

**Eileen looked angry, and I wondered if she would try and hit me from where she sat, but luckily, she didn't. For her sake. "Yes, **_**Commander,**_**" she replied, getting up and walking away. I was about to leave when I could have sworn I heard her mutter something else under her breath. **

**"When hell freezes over." **

* * *

"Why do these Metal Heads have to be so _vicious_?" I asked out loud as Jak, Daxter and I ran through Haven Forest in an attempt to finish off the camouflaged beasts. Skull Gems and Dark Eco were scattered everywhere, and I made sure to stay away from the balls of Dark Eco as Jak ran around and collected them, as well as the skull gems.

When we had first arrived here, we hadn't had time to look around at the beautiful forest I had woken up in upon first entering this game. I had almost forgotten what it looked like, but the damn Metal Heads were ruining the peaceful atmosphere.

Jak made good use of his Vulcan Fury for most of the time, especially on the larger Metal Heads. "These things just don't give up!"

"AHH!" Daxter screamed as one Metal Head shot lasers at him. Jak quickly rolled out of the way before he suddenly put his gun away. In that moment, Metal Heads began surrounding us on all sides. I suddenly heard a _snap, crackle, _and _pop_, and I instantly realized what was about to happen.

"Get out of here, Paige," Jak growled at me, and I backed up a little bit as he changed into Dark Jak once more. The creature that I had unintentionally helped to create. I couldn't help but feel guilty as I watched Dark Jak run around, swiping at the Metal Heads in all his fury before finally performing one last mind-blowing attack.

"Holy shit!" I cursed as I watched Dark Jak jump into the air and then land back on the ground, sending out a large wave of Dark Eco and taking out the last of the Metal Heads around us. I had taken cover behind a rock so that the wave wouldn't hit me. Once the attack was over, I emerged from hiding as Dark Jak ambled towards me, clutching his head as he groaned and disappeared, Jak taking his place once more.

"Paige!" he cried, and I faced him.

"You okay?" I asked him.

"I'm fine," he replied, "Are you still afraid?"

Surprisingly, I wasn't. Knowing where Dark Jak had come from had somehow diminished that fear and replaced it with another emotion. "No," I told him, sighing, "But I feel guilty. Really guilty." Jak just nodded as he picked up some stray Dark Eco before motioning for us to go back to Haven City.

"_Jak, Paige, this is Krew,_" Krew suddenly began out of nowhere, "_I have another task for you. Meet me back at the Hip Hog, mmm?_"

"This is the third time I've gone there today," I commented once we were back in the city and on our way to the Saloon.

"Maybe the Precursors are trying to tell you something!" Daxter suggested.

I laughed and shook my head. "I don't know about all that," I teased, "I'm not sure how much I believe in the Precursors."

"_What?_" Daxter shrieked, but we were already entering the Hip Hog and approaching Krew before he could continue questioning me.

"What's going on, Krew?" Jak asked as we stopped right behind him.

"Years ago, when I was an art 'collector', I hit the local museum to, mmm, 'borrow' a famous statue of Mar, the founder of Haven City. In his hands, the statue held the Ruby Key to the city, an artifact of surpassing beauty... and of course, priceless worth, eh!" Krew explained to us. There he went about this Mar guy again. What else was there to Mar that either my sisters never told me or that I didn't already know just from being in Haven City for two years?

"Oh! I just love art!" Daxter commented.

"Me too," I told him, smiling as Krew continued.

"While smuggling the huge statue through the Sewers, eh, a grueling rainstorm flooded the whole place. The statue and five of my best men were swept away!" He looked away for a minute as Jak looked genuinely sad over this.

"That's terrible," he mused, and I nodded solemnly.

"Yes, a tragic loss," Krew agreed, "I've missed that statue ever since."

_What the hell? _I thought, _That's messed up._ I opened my mouth to say just that, but Jak quickly grabbed my wrist and shook his head.

"The Sewers have been so full of water and Metal Heads that I can't get anyone to go down there and retrieve the artifact. But you're special, Jak. You can do it!"

"_Jak?_" Daxter cried, "Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?"

"Oh, don't I wish, mmm?" Krew replied, hungrily licking his fingers while Jak and I winced in revulsion, "Now, go down there, drain the Sewers, and find that statue at the bottom. Bring back the Ruby Key artifact, and it will open up doors beyond our wildest dreams, eh!"

"Great," Jak growled, "More mucking in the mud…"

"I hate to burst your bathtub bubbles, baby," Daxter replied, "But that ain't just mud down there."

"Oh, _gross,_" I whined, swatting at the ottsel as he avoided my hand, "Sorry, guys. I think I'll sit this one out. No Sewers for me."

"You sure?" Jak asked.

"Positive," I quipped, "You two go ahead."

"Oh, sure," Daxter piped up, "Let _us _go down there to do the dirty work! Let's go, Jak!"

"We'll catch you later," Jak said to me, and I nodded as I watched him leave.

* * *

_**Draining the Sewers a few hours later…**_

_Wow, was this a tedious task or what? _

_Draining the Sewers had required using the jet board, but that wasn't the problem. The smell was worse than when we had been here to destroy the turrets the last time. The whole time we drained all the water, I couldn't help but think about the recent turn of events. How the hell had we ended up wandering around in the Sewers? All I wanted was to find my friends and stop Praxis. Now, I was running around performing different tasks for everyone. I guessed that mechanic was right; maybe I was just an errand boy. _

_Oh well. I'd worry about it later. Right now, we had to find that Ruby Key. Fortunately, it was just up ahead, and Dax decided to go get the Key from the top of the Statue while I waited. It took a while, but he finally managed to toss it down to me, and I caught it before it could hit the ground. _

_"Whew!" I sighed in relief, "Got it! Where would you be without me, eh, Dax?" _

_"Well, Jak," Dax answered, "I probably wouldn't be two feet tall, fuzzy, and running around in a sewer without a pair of pants! God, I miss pants." _

_I playfully rolled my eyes. There he went about missing pants again. He had been missing them ever since the incident on Misty Island. Was it really that long ago? _

_"Paige, it's Jak," I announced into my communicator, "We're on our way to the Stadium if you want to meet up with us there." _

_"_Sure,_" she replied, "_I'll be right there."

_Paige. She was so confusing. Granted, I was still annoyed with her over her part in the Dark Warrior Program, but she seemed genuinely sorry for what happened. No. I wasn't going to let her off the hook so fast. She would have to prove it on her own, especially because of something serious like those experiments. _

_After driving for a few minutes, we finally arrived at the Stadium and spotted Paige waiting for us outside the mechanic's garage. "I see you got the Key," she noted, nodding at the Ruby Key in my hands. _

_"We held our own down there," I told her, grinning to myself. _

_"I bet you did," she replied, "Let's go see the mechanic." _

_We entered the shop and stood outside the familiar green curtain. "We destroyed Krew's cargo," I announced. _

_"Great!" the Racing Client replied sarcastically, "I'll send you a medal. Now, if you don't mind, I'm on a deadline, so scram!" _

_"Are you always this difficult?" I snapped. _

_"Somehow, I doubt it," Paige commented, "Just with you." I glared at her. _

_"Let me handle this, Jak!" Dax suddenly said, jumping down to the floor from my shoulder. _

_"Listen, lady!" he started, "We beat your stupid course, and we can outrace anybody in this city! Now, there are just two things you need to know. One: we don't want to join your stinking race team! And two: you just lost a date with orange lightning! Let's go, guys!" _

_The Racing Client pushed the curtains aside and gasped with joy. "Daxter, it is you!" she shouted with pure happiness. _

_"Keira?" Daxter gasped. Keira! Keira was the mechanic this whole time? Paige didn't look surprised at this revelation like I was sure I did. _

_"Oh, I never thought I'd be so glad to see your furry mug!" Keira exclaimed, pinching Daxter's cheeks. _

_"Hi, Paige!" she shouted, hugging Paige, "I was wondering what happened to you! I didn't hear from you for a while!" _

_"I'm good," Paige assured her, "Don't worry." However, her tone said otherwise. _

_Keira turned to face me, and I felt butterflies in my stomach as the crush I had had on her back in Sandover returned to me after two years. "And Jak!" she began, addressing me at last, "You look…different." Her tone and facial expression instantly changed, and I couldn't help but feel a little bit stung. It was amazing how I was able to pick up on these nonverbal cues so well all of a sudden. _

_"It's been a tough ride," I said to her, and she covered her mouth in shock. It also just occurred to me that she had never heard me speak before. _

_"The Baron pumped our boy here full of Dark Eco!" Daxter explained as Paige looked away in shame again, "And it did something to him! Now, he's got super moves or something. And a few anger issues as well." _

_"I've been looking for you guys forever, and planning a way to get us back home. Somehow, that Rift took us far into the future. I've calculated the time displacement, and I think I've got it figured-" _

_"We found your father," I interrupted, "Well…sort of." _

_"Working with the Underground, fighting the Baron," Daxter added, "But he's…umm…" _

_"What?" Keira asked. _

_"You need to go see him," I told her, "And we need to get to the Baron." Paige nodded frantically next to me. _

_"You could try to win the Class One Racing Championship," Keira explained, "The winner of that big race always gets to meet the Baron in the Palace. But you have to qualify by winning the lower class races. There's a Class Three Race starting soon! You can drive for my team!" Keira took off her mask. _

_"But Jak, we should think about getting out of here! I don't like this place, and some of the people are creepy." As soon as she said that, Krew, rolls of fat and all, flew into the garage and found all of us. How the hell did he do that? _

_"Ahh, Krew," Paige piped up, "Long time no see." _

_"Yes, it has been a long time, mmm?" Krew replied, facing me and causing Keira to step back a little bit, "Jak, my boy, I need that Ruby Key you found, eh? A special client has requested it." What special client? _

_"Sorry about that, Krew," I apologized, chuckling and scratching the back of my head, "I, uh, must have forgotten." _

_"Riiight," Krew mumbled as I tossed him the key. He grabbed it and then flew away. _

_"Ugh, he's such a creep!" Keira commented, "I can't believe you work for him!" _

_"Attention all citizens! The Class Three Race is about to begin!" a voice announced. _

_"That's our cue," I said, "We'd better get going. Come on, Dax!" We exited the garage and headed towards the track while Paige followed close behind us. _

_"I'm going to go find a good seat," she told us, "Good luck down there!"_


	15. Suspicious Behavior

All right! Next chapter is here! Thanks again for all the reviews! I appreciate them a lot! Onto the next chapter! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **Only my OCs are mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog. Other plot points not from the original game are also mine.

* * *

The Stadium was bursting with activity and excitement by the time I arrived in the stands. Craning my neck, I scanned the area for the best possible seats, and I spotted some close to the wall guarding the track. Feeling excited as well, I quickly took a seat as I spotted Jak running towards one vacant Zoomer above the race track. In front of the stands were strategically placed monitors to see the rest of the race when the racers would disappear. This was bound to be exciting. I wondered if Jak ever raced back home.

"Paige!" a voice shouted to me, and when I looked up, I spotted Eileen making her way over to me as she sat down in the seat next to me.

"Hey!" I greeted, "I didn't know you were here."

"Oh, you know," the nurse replied breezily, "I've been around here for a while." Her voice sounded jovial, but her eyes said something else.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

Eileen blinked before replying. "Wrong?" she echoed, "No, of course not! Why?"

"Just asking," I replied, "Oh, the race is about to start! Jak's going for it!"

"Does that mean you two are becoming friends?" Eileen asked.

"I don't know about all that," I answered, "But I'd say we're acquaintances now."

"That's good." Again, she was giving off the vibe that something was bothering her.

"Am I going to have to sic Daxter on you?" I teased, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing!" Eileen insisted, and startled, I didn't say anything in response. _Whoa, chill out, _I thought, _You're starting to sound like the old me now._

Shrugging, I turned back to the race track just as three floating red lights counted down until one green one signaled the beginning of the race. In a flash, all the racers took off, with Jak quickly speeding past most of the racers and catching up with the person in first place. On the track were three purple balls that glowed, and when Jak picked one up, I realized it was a turbo boost. _Very useful, _I thought, nodding to myself as I turned my attention to the monitors after Jak disappeared on the track. I saw that he was making good use of shortcuts that weren't on the small racing map in the corner of the screen. _Smart, _I thought to myself, _Jak sure knows what he's doing._

While I waited for him to enter our view again, I glanced around the Stadium to see how everyone was reacting to the fact that Jak seemed to be running away with first place, and to my surprise, Ashelin was sitting a few rows away from us, her eyes glued to the track. No, glued to _Jak_! Was something going on there? No. There couldn't have been. He and Keira were an item. Or at least, I thought they were from what my sisters mentioned about them. I wasn't too sure about that after Keira pretty much slighted Jak back in the garages. "You look…different," she had said. _Ouch, Keira, _I thought.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't realize a few laps had gone by before I turned my attention back to the track, where the fifth lap was beginning and Jak was still kicking everyone else's asses. _Go, Jak! _I thought, and the roaring crowd seemed to agree with me. Eileen was still silent next to me, and I knew I'd have to ask her what was eating away at her. I had to admit I was curious.

I glanced away from the race for another minute and suddenly spotted Erol much further away, and he looked none too pleased at what he was seeing down on the track. "Eileen," I whispered, "Don't look now, but Erol's here."

"What?" she groaned, looking anyway, "Aww, _crap_!"

"Is he what's bothering you?" I asked.

"I forgot he was coming to see the race today," the nurse hissed, "As soon as this is done, can we leave?"

"I'm supposed to be meeting Jak after the race anyway," I told her, "Why? Do you have somewhere you need to be?"

"Y-yeah," Eileen stammered.

Suddenly, an alarm buzzed, signaling the end of the race, and the crowd roared even louder as I realized that Jak and Daxter won the Class Three Race! They actually won! "YES!" I cheered, pumping my fist into the air, "Go, Jak!" They looked stoked as well as they clutched the trophy in their hands and happily walked off the track.

"I can't believe they did it!" I shouted, hugging Eileen, who awkwardly returned it, "A congratulations is in order."

To my relief, Eileen began to relax a little bit as she chuckled. "Let's get out of here," she whispered, but before we could, we suddenly heard a voice behind us.

"Enjoy the race?" it asked sarcastically, and when we turned around, we spotted Erol approaching us. _Great, _I thought angrily, _He just had to spot us, didn't he? _

"It was a good race," Eileen answered neutrally, and I just nodded from where I stood.

Erol glanced at me as I adjusted my helmet. "Ahh, Paige," he began, "It's funny how we keep running into each other in large crowds."

I laughed sharply as I folded my arms. "Maybe the crowd doesn't want to see my head displayed on a pole," I replied, much to Eileen's surprise.

"Touché," the Commander said, "You're still going to pay for everything you've done. You shot one of my best men, you know."

"Best _men_?" I echoed, "Or latest puppet?"

"Maybe we should get going," Eileen piped up in order to stop the conversation from getting hostile, "Come on, Paige." She tugged on my arm so that we could leave, but the redhead wasn't finished.

"So you were rooting for the Eco Freak?" he asked, and I turned around and smirked.

"Damn right I was," I answered, "Looks like you've got some competition, Erol."

"But you're forgetting something," he said, wagging a finger in my face while I tried not to lash out at him, "He still has to win the other races. And he has no chance against _me._"

"I don't know. He seemed really good today." I shrugged.

"Don't get any ideas, Smith," Erol warned me, "The freak doesn't stand a chance and you know it. If I catch you rooting for him again…"

Fortunately, he never got to finish his threat, as he pager went off. "You got lucky this time," he said to us, "But next time, you might not be." And with one last death stare to both of us, he walked away.

"Someone's jealous!" I catcalled after him as he disappeared through the stands.

"You better watch it around him, Paige," Eileen warned me as we went to meet up with Jak and Daxter, "He can be pretty ruthless."

"You were the one telling me to fight back against him," I argued.

"And I'm still telling you to do that," she replied, "Just don't…make the same mistakes I did. Okay?"

Before I could even so much as blink, she was gone, running through the stands until I couldn't see her anymore.

* * *

Once I was back outside Keira's garage, I saw Jak and Daxter heading in the same direction. "Jak! Daxter!" I cried, running towards them as they turned around.

"Paige, baby!" Daxter greeted, "Did you see our victory?"

"I sure did," I replied, beaming, "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Jak said in response, though he looked very pleased with himself.

As we returned to Keira's workshop and Jak set the trophy down, Daxter commented, "When is this city going to provide some challenge, huh?"

"With you two around," I said, "Probably never." We all burst out laughing.

"You did good, guys! I'm so proud of you!" Keira complimented the demolition duo, grinning from ear to ear as she pet Daxter over the head.

"Hey," a voice suddenly greeted. All of us turned to see Ashelin enter the garage. She must have followed us to the garages once the race was over.

"I watched you race today," Ashelin said to Jak, "You were pretty amazing out there." I glanced at Keira and noticed she wore an angry expression on her face. The mechanic leaped down from where she was sitting and blatantly looked the Baron's daughter up and down. If Ashelin seemed put off, she did a damn good job of hiding it.

"Oh!" Jak gasped, clearly surprised to see Ashelin, "Thanks!" Daxter looked from Keira and Jak to Ashelin and cleared his throat.

"Uhh, Keira? This is Ashelin," Jak introduced awkwardly, "She's…umm…"

Now Keira looked annoyed. "Everyone knows who _she _is," she replied in a condescending tone of voice.

"And Ashelin, this is Keira. She's…a…"

"A friend," Keira interrupted, folding her arms and shooting daggers at Ashelin, "A very…_good _friend." Daxter made cat noises at the two of them, and I couldn't help but feel awkward for Ashelin. _Jealous, much? _I couldn't help but think to myself on Keira's part. I could practically hear the unspoken, "He's _mine_!" in Keira's tone of voice, and to be honest, it intimidated me a little bit. _She must really like Jak if she's acting like this, _I thought. I had never heard her speak so viciously before.

Ashelin looked unfazed, however. "Thanks for helping out with that tanker, Jak," she said gratefully, "You saved a lot of lives." She turned her back and faced away from us.

"I'm not my father, you know," she told us sadly, "Ever since I was a little girl, I would look down at the city streets from that _ridiculous _palace…and imagine a better place."

Two Krimzon guards walked by. "By the way, they're hunting for you," she warned us, "I'd watch out for Erol. I can't protect you from him." She marched away.

"Whoa, she's a betty!" Daxter whistled, "And she likes you, Jak! Not that I can account for her tastes. I bet you want to pin some medals on her chest, huh?" Jak and Keira shot daggers at him, and Keira stormed out of the garage.

"What?" the ottsel asked, "What'd I say? What'd you say, Jak?" Jak just glared at him and began to walk out as well.

"You coming, Paige?" he asked me.

"You guys go ahead back to the hideout," I said, "I want to speak with Ashelin about something."

"Okay, toots!" Daxter replied, "See you later!" Waving, I watched as they whipped out the jet board and began to cruise through the streets.

To my left, I spotted Ashelin. "Ashelin!" I cried, waving, "Ashelin, wait up!"

Ashelin looked up from her cruiser, said something to the other guards surrounding her, and leaped down and approached me, putting her Eco Pistol away.

"Well," she teased, "Looks like 'Erol's pet' is no such thing anymore. I heard you shot some of my father's propaganda stands."

"That I did," I confirmed as she smirked to herself, "You were right, Ashelin. It was time to break some of the rules. I'm not letting Erol control me anymore."

"That's more like it," Ashelin replied, patting my shoulder, "I didn't think you'd stay in that Fortress forever."

"Well, it's been worth it. I'm finally free now, and I'm taking advantage of it. Thanks for being one of the ones to knock some sense into me, Ashelin."

"No problem. Anything to help people like me." And with that, she climbed onto her cruiser and flew away.

By the time I got back to the hideout a little later, I found myself being pulled towards the main table in the center of the meeting room. "Whoa, hey!" I gasped as I looked up and saw Tess standing in front of me, "What's going on, guys?"

"We're celebrating our race victory a little more," Daxter announced, "Come join us! Tattooed Wonder doesn't have any missions for us right now!"

I stole a glance at Torn, who just stared back at me before exiting to a side room.

"So you enjoyed watching the race?" Tess asked as we all sat down.

"Well, you were cooking down there, Jak," I admitted, "You were good."

"As good as Erol, from what I've heard," Tess piped up.

"Honey, we're _better _than that creep!" Daxter corrected.

"I think we've got a shot at beating him," Jak concurred.

"I ran into him when I was leaving the Stadium today," I announced, but before I could continue, Jak interrupted me.

"You seem to be running into him everywhere, aren't you?" he asked.

"I can't help it," I said, shrugging, "I think he's stalking me to try and find you. He _thinks _I'll blow your cover. Not a chance."

"Well, thanks for not throwing us to the sharks," Daxter thanked me, and I smiled.

"Hey, has anyone seen Eileen?" I asked, "I was with her at the Stadium, but she was acting strange the whole time. I thought maybe she stopped by here."

"No, she hasn't been here," Tess replied, "I hope she's okay."

"Yeah," I agreed, "Me too."

* * *

_**The next day…**_

"Wake up, toots!" Daxter screamed in my ear as I yelped and shot up in bed, my hair sticking out everywhere as I hit the bunk above me.

"Daxter!" I cried as I heard Jak chuckle from the bunk above me, "What gives?"

"We just got a call from old sack of nerves!" Dax announced, "We've got to get to the Power Station!"

"Aww, how is old Vin?" I asked as Jak leaped down to our level.

"Still paranoid like always," Jak answered, "The last time we saw him was when we had to turn on the B-Zone power grids to get into the Palace."

"Did he say what he wanted now?" I questioned once we were finished getting ready to go now.

"No, but he said it was urgent," Jak said, "Then again…" He smirked as we snagged a Zoomer close to the hideout.

"Jak, Paige!" Vin cried once we arrived at the Power Station again, "We've still got trouble at the Strip Mine! I think the Baron set me up. Actually... ah, ahh, I think everybody's trying to kill me!" _Geez, _I thought, _Paranoid, much? _

"What are you talking about?" Jak asked, raising an eyebrow as I just remained silent.

"Those eco wells the Baron had us drill? It seems he never intended to pipe them into the city grid. It doesn't make any sense! You know, open eco wells will attract more Metal Heads!" His voice was trembling the whole time as he reported this to us.

"You've got to close them off!" he cried, tugging on Daxter's chest.

"Well, the Baron isn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, is he?" I piped up.

"I-if those Metal Heads get in," Vin began, but didn't finish as he reached for a box full of round objects.

"Now, these plasmite bombs should do the trick," he said, handing the box to Jak, "Drop one into each well, and the blast will do the rest!"

"Nice," I muttered as Jak struggled to balance a little bit, causing one of the bombs to fly out of the box. Daxter caught it in the nick of time, though he struggled to hold it as well.

"Hey, be careful with that!" Vin warned.

"Plasmite, huh?" Daxter asked, "Cool. How does it work?"

Suddenly, he pressed a button on the side, activating the bomb. "Way to go, Daxter," I hissed under my breath.

"AHH!" the ottsel screamed, "I believe this is yours!" He tossed it to Vin, who began to panic.

"H-hey! N-not my problem anymore." The paranoid scientist threw it back to Daxter.

"No, really! I insist!"

"Hey, you're the hero!"

"No, Jak's the hero!" He threw the activated bomb into the box Jak was holding, which eventually set them all off.

"Daxter!" Jak and I both groaned.

"Great! Now, you've armed the whole lot!" Vin yelled, "Don't move!" Jak stopped dead where he was.

"On second thought," Vin amended, "_Move_! Far away! Go through the portal and drop one into each well before they all go off! You only have two minutes!" As soon as they were gone, he sighed and buried his face into his hands.

"There they are on those screens!" I said, pointing to the monitor across from us as Jak whipped out the jet board and began to use it in order to go up the ramps in front of the wells. They were doing well from where I stood, but Vin was so paranoid that he was anxiously watching the clock on the timer connected to the bombs.

By the time they got down to the last bomb, they seemed to take a long time to get to the last well. "Hurry up!" Vin shrieked into their communicator, and he panicked even more when they didn't respond.

"Oh, no, oh, no, oh _no_!" he cried, and he was about to have another panic attack when I marched forward, raised my right hand, and slapped him across the face.

"Vin!" I yelled sharply, "Relax! Take a deep breath! They're Jak and Daxter! They'll be fine! Look, they just closed the last well." He looked up at the screen again as Jak and Daxter struck a victory pose, and with a squeal, he collapsed to the ground for a minute as he fanned himself, taking deep breaths.

"You just reminded me of the old me right there," I commented as I helped him back up.

"Y-yeah, something is different about you," he agreed.

"I'm not involved with the Baron anymore," I reported to him, "Maybe that's it."

At that moment, Jak and Daxter returned to the Power Station without the box of plasmite bombs. "Jak and Daxter: six! Eco wells: zero!" Daxter replied happily.

"Nice job, boys!" I complimented as Vin turned around and continued working on the computers.

"Man, what a brain wreck!" Daxter commented, "Vin sure is scared of Metal Heads." Jak shrugged.

"And for good reason," a raspy voice suddenly piped up, and all of us turned to see Kor enter through the Power Station doors. I balled my hands into fists and reigned in my anger; even though Kor was right in that he hadn't done anything to me, I still didn't trust him. _How the hell did he know we were here? _I thought.

"I've seen what Metal Heads do when they take a city," he continued, "The destruction, the killing…the _devouring_." His eyes darkened again as he wore a slightly evil look on his face and waved his hands dramatically, and I felt sick to the stomach. _Too much detail, _I thought.

"The Baron's scheming will only result in this city's falling prey like all the others before it. We must replace Praxis before it's too late. I am happy to say that you and your sidekicks are causing quite a stir in our fight against the Baron."

"You hear that, guys?" Daxter said with pride, "You're both the sidekicks!" Jak and I smirked.

Suddenly, Kor reached down to brush his leg and stiffened up when he noticed Daxter staring at him. "Hey, uh, wise and whiskered," Daxter began, "You, ah, got something itching under your robes? They have ointment for that, you know."

Kor sighed. "It's just my aching bones," he answered.

Before I could stop myself, I muttered, "Aching bones my ass." Everyone turned to stare at me.

"What?" I asked, "He was fine when he walked in here! Now his bones are aching?"

Jak couldn't help but laugh. "Don't you think you're taking this a little too far, Paige?" he asked, "Give Kor a break, okay?" I vigorously shook my head.

"Whatever," I replied. _My instincts are telling me not to trust Kor, and I'm sticking with them, _I thought to myself.

"We have word that the Baron is sending one of his tanker ships out to the Drill Platform to pick up a load of ill-gotten eco," Kor continued as if I hadn't said a word, "Go out to the Drill Platform through the warp gate and knock out that ship! The Shadow will send a team from the Underground to pick up the eco later. Keep up the good work. We're counting on you!" Kor smiled, which made my blood run cold. _I don't even know why I dislike him so much! _I thought to myself, _I literally know nothing about him._

Jak and Daxter turned around and jumped back through the warp gate to go to the Drill Platform instead. "Good luck, you guys!" I cried after them, waving and watching as they disappeared. As soon as they were gone, I took a deep breath and crossed my arms as Kor glared at me.

"Ah, K-Kor?" Vin stammered, whirling around to face the older man, "A-are you sure it's a good idea to send them out there? The U-Underground d-didn't authorize that mission!"

Kor narrowed his eyes for a second before returning to his normal, friendly personality. "Of course!" he insisted, "Any means to take down Baron Praxis!"

At this, I widened my eyes, uncrossed my arms, and placed my hands on my hips as I leaned on one leg to the side. "Oh!" I cried, "_Oh!_ Care to repeat that again for us, Vin? Maybe _Kor's _the one who can't be trusted!" I was throwing the bastard's words back at him and he knew it.

"N-no thanks," Vin declined, returning to the computers.

"So you're sending Jak and Daxter out on missions that aren't authorized by the Underground, huh?" I said, facing Kor, "What will Torn and Samos have to say about that?"

"Nothing," Kor replied, "It'll be our little secret." He winked at me, and I continued to fume.

"Take a walk with me, Paige," he suggested, grabbing his walking stick and hobbling towards the door.

I vigorously shook my head. "I'd rather be captured by Erol than go anywhere with you," I snarled.

"Oh, I know you feel differently," he said, and I bared my teeth at him.

"You son of a bitch," I hissed, but Kor tapped my shoulder with the walking stick as he nodded towards the door. Rolling my eyes, I followed him back out to the street, where I decided to go back to the hideout for now.

"No, no," Kor piped up, "I'd like to speak with you somewhere more…private."

_Eww, _I thought as I shuddered. "And why would I trust you in a place more private than this?"

"Why _wouldn't _you trust me?"

"Do I even have to begin?"

Kor glanced around and ushered me onwards through the Industrial Zone, and we continued to walk until we arrived in the Bazaar, and subsequently, the gate leading to Haven Forest/Mountain Temple.

"The forest?" I asked in disbelief, "Why are we going here?"

"I told you," Kor wheezed as the gate opened, "It's more private there than in the city."

"I don't like this," I decided.

"You'll have to if you don't want the Baron to capture you," Kor replied, and I disliked this more and more.

"Vin's the one who pointed out your little secret mission," I replied, "Why aren't you going after him?"

"Vin is valuable to the city," Kor explained once we had jumped through the warp gate and made our way to the floating platform leading to Haven Forest.

"And I'm not?" I asked, but the older man didn't answer once we were in Haven Forest. We stopped for a minute as we took in the quiet atmosphere around us. Birds were still singing as the water flowed quietly from the waterfall to the lake down the way from us.

"It's quiet," I whispered, "Too quiet. Why-"

Suddenly, I lost my footing on something, and out of nowhere, I began to tumble down the ledges as I screamed in surprise. I continued to roll down the hills as I felt bruises begin to form on my arms, legs, and sides, and then with one last yelp, I slammed my head on something hard, and I quickly caught a glimpse of the trees above me before everything faded to black.


	16. Layers

Okay! Here's the next chapter of "Living in Sin"! Thanks again to everyone who has been reviewing! Enjoy! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **Only my OCs and plot line involving Kor are mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

* * *

_As the second Eco transport ship finally crashed, the moving gun Dax and I had been sitting in finally came to a stop right next to a warp gate that would take us back to the Power Station. "_Excellent work!" _Kor complimented from his end of our communicator, "_You are proving to be quite an asset. Without eco, the Baron will soon tumble, and the city's future will be in our hands!_" _

_"Taking out those ships was easy," I said to Dax as we made our way back to the Power Station, where Vin was still working. _

_"Oh!" he gasped, facing us, "Back already?" _

_"Oh yeah!" Daxter replied, "We took on those ships with no problems!" _

_"Where's Paige?" I asked the scientist, who squealed again as he slammed his fingers down on the keyboard, "I thought she was going to be waiting for us here." _

_"Ahh, ahh, oh…" he stammered, but trailed off soon after that. _

_"What's up, sack of nerves?" Dax piped up. _

_"S-she left with K-Kor earlier," Vin reported, "I-I don't know about him, you two. Something seems o-off about him, but I don't know what." _

_"You, too?" I asked in surprise, "First Paige, and now you?" _

_"W-what?" Vin asked, "She doesn't trust him?" _

_"She hates him!" Daxter piped up. _

_"What do you know about Kor?" I asked Vin, but he seemed reluctant to answer. _

_"I-I really shouldn't say," he answered, "Just be careful!" I just nodded, but had a bunch of questions when this was all over. Daxter and I left the Power Station as we looked for a Zoomer to take for ourselves. _

_"I wonder why Paige hates Kor so much," I said to Dax as we had to disembark once we arrived in the Bazaar. _

_"Ya got me, buddy!" _

_"Maybe we should keep an eye on him," I suggested, "Just in case." _

And speak of the devil, _I thought as we spotted Kor strolling casually through the square. "Kor!" I cried, waving to him. He glanced up at us before hobbling over to us with the use of his walking stick. _

_"Good job at the Drill Platform once again," he complimented in his usual tired out voice. _

_"Thanks," I replied, "We're on our way to see Onin and we were looking for Paige. Have you seen her?" _

_"I haven't," the older man confirmed, shaking his head, "Why? Is she all right?" _

_"Vin said she was with you!" Daxter explained. _

_"Oh," Kor quipped, "She was, but then she said she had to go take care of business. She must be back at the hideout." _

_But I wasn't paying attention to his words. Instead, I was staring at the tip of his walking stick that was touching the ground, and I noticed there was a lot of dirt and grass on it, almost as if he had made an effort to place the stick deep into the dirt. _Hmm, _I thought. "You have dirt and grass on your walking stick," I told him, pointing to the spot I was looking at. _

_"Oh!" he repeated, "I was just taking a stroll around the gardens. It must have gotten stuck in the dirt. Stupid walking stick…" And without saying anything else, he nonchalantly walked away. _

_"What do you think, buddy?" Daxter asked as we headed over to Onin's tent, "Think he's telling the truth?" _

_"I don't know," I admitted truthfully, "I guess we'll find out." We entered the tent, where we found Pecker, Onin, and Samos waiting for us. _

_"The birdbrain and I were just talking about you, Jak," Samos told me, "Onin is very proud of what you did." _

_"What I did?" I echoed. _

_"What you did," Pecker repeated, "What you'll do…it's all the same." _

_"Will you stop with all the déjà voodoo stuff?" Daxter snapped, "It's creepy!" _

_"Onin says you must find the Tomb of Mar," Samos translated as Onin waved her hands in front of her. _

_"Even now, Baron Praxis seeks the tomb, but only... arrk! The one true heir of Mar can open the Tomb's seal," Pecker added. _

_"We believe the Kid is the key." _

_"The prophecies say the true heir of Mar must face the ancient Oracle. He alone must circumvent the cunning tests of manhood. He alone must wield the Precursor Stone, thereby unleashing... Geez, louise, fossil lady! Stop with the snotty mystic talk already! You know that it hurts my lips!_"

_"Why is Mar's Tomb so important?" I asked. _

_"The fabled Precursor Stone is fabled to sleep within the Tomb, stupid. I added the 'stupid' part. The Precursor Stone contains vast eco energies. It can be used for great good.. or... great eeeevil!" Pecker chuckled into his hand. _

_"I just love saying that last part!" he added. _

_"Okay, Pecker," I said, "So how do I get this Precursor Stone?" _

_"First, you must go to the Dig and find the Lurker totem," Samos explained as he translated for the soothsayer, "Onin and I learned that a piece to the Seal of Mar is contained within its ancient carvings. You must find all three pieces of the seal to open Mar's gate into the canyon." _

_"Time to go," I said to Daxter, "By the way, have either of you seen Paige?" It was strange how much I was concerned about somebody I was annoyed with, but I had to know. _

_"Onin says she senses the short-eared girl's presence," Pecker translated from Onin's hand motions, "And it is not where you think it is." _

_"Then where is it?" Daxter demanded, glaring at the moncaw, "Just tell us!" _

_"Onin says you should trust your first instincts," Pecker interpreted cryptically, smirking as Daxter bared his teeth at him. I quickly grabbed him and sprinted out of the tent before he could do anything rash. _

_"Trust your first instincts," I repeated to myself under my breath, thinking about the dirt and grass on Kor's walking stick. _

_"Dax," I whispered, "You don't think…she's in Haven Forest, do you?" _

_"Do I look like Onin?" Dax replied, "Then Kor was lying!" _

_"Why would he lie, though?" I asked as we headed to the gate leading to Haven Forest/Mountain Temple, "He's on our side!" _

_"Ya got me, buddy." We jumped through the warp gate up to where the platform to Haven Forest was located, and once we were in the forest, we took in the silence once again. _

_"Oh, Paige!" Daxter cried from my shoulders, "Miss Goody Two Shoes No More! Where are ya, toots?" No response, except for a few birds singing. _

_"Paige?" I echoed, but she didn't answer yet again. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe she wasn't here. _

_"Jak!" Dax suddenly shouted, "Look!" He pointed to the river down below, and when I followed his gaze, I saw what he was staring at. _

_By the river, a few Metal Heads were converging on something, and when I craned my neck, I saw what they were surrounding. _

_"Paige!" I gasped to myself as Dax and I leaped down the ledges. Taking out the Vulcan Fury, I began to shoot at the Metal Heads who were hovering over an unconscious Paige, and I wondered what had happened to her to land her here. There would be time for questions later. _

_The Metal Heads continued to attack, stepping away from Paige and going after me now. "Look out!" Daxter cried as one Metal Head aimed its beam weapon at my chest, but I rolled out of the way as I raised the Vulcan Fury again, this time getting rid of the rest of the Metal Heads for good. _

_"What happened to Paige?" Dax asked as I knelt down next to her. _

_"I don't know," I mumbled, shaking her shoulder, but noticing all the bruises on her legs and arms. Blood leaked from her head, and when I flipped her onto her side, I saw there was a gash on the back of her head and a blood clot was forming there. I quickly checked her pulse to find that she was alive. _

_"She must have fallen and hit her head," I deduced, "Come on, Dax. Let's get her back to the hideout." Kneeling down, I picked her up and began to carry her out of the forest, and I wrapped a cloth around her head to stop the bleeding. How long had she been here, and unconscious like this? _

_Once we were back to the floating platform, I sighed as I tried not to drop Paige. "Why are you so keen on helping her, anyway?" Daxter asked. _

_"I don't know," I answered truthfully, "I always thought she was evil, like Erol and Praxis, but these days…I just don't know. Maybe she's not all bad." I shrugged. _

_It took a while, but we fortunately managed to snag a two-seat Zoomer right by the gate, and once we got back to the hideout, I spotted Torn and Eileen standing my the main table. _

_"Jak! Daxter!" Eileen gasped, "You're back already?" _

_"Not for long," I explained, "We're on our way to find two pieces of Mar's Seal, but first, there's this." I gestured to Paige. _

_"We found her like this in Haven Forest," I continued, "I don't know how serious it is, but she needed to be brought back here." _

_Eileen gasped. "What happened?" she asked worriedly. _

_"We don't know," Daxter replied, "She was just not moving when we found her." _

_"Take her to one of the side rooms," Torn ordered as Eileen took Paige out of my arms, "And call Samos. He'll know what to do." _

_"I'll help out as much as I can," Eileen quipped, and I noticed she seemed really anxious to help Paige. But why? _

_"Thanks, you two," Torn thanked us, "We'll take it from here." _

_Nodding, Dax and I left the hideout to go to the Dig. At least now we knew something was up with Kor, from both Paige and Vin. But then again, Vin thought everyone was trying to kill him, so I wasn't sure if I should take him seriously about this or not. And Paige…she was another story. _

* * *

_The Dig was filled to the brim with Metal Heads by the time we arrived there, and we were forced to go through all of them if we wanted to find the piece of Mar's Seal. It had been rough, but we eventually made it through the large obstacle course and lava pits before we found the Lurker totem. I stopped and waited for Daxter to start climbing up to get it. "I'm on it!" he cried, but then he stopped. _

_"Wait a minute," he amended, "I think this time, you should go get the thing!" _

_"You're kidding, right?" I asked as I sighed, rolled my eyes, and began climbing up the totem pole to get the Seal piece. I could tell Daxter was having a good time watching me struggle up the pole. _

_"Looks dodgy up there!" Dax shouted, "Don't hurt yourself, Jak!" _

_Once I reached the top, I managed to pull out the piece of the Seal, and above me, a wooden fish head suddenly fell down and landed on Daxter. Wincing, I slid back down to his level and then had to chuckle a little bit. _

_"It's a curse, isn't it?" Dax grumbled, and he stopped so that I could pull the fish head off of him. _

_"Let's get to the Slums," I said, "Brutter said the other seal piece is there." _

_"Let's just get this over with," Dax grumbled as we made our way there. It had been a while ago since Brutter had contacted us, so I guessed this was his way of repaying us for rescuing the Lurkers earlier. _

_"_That is it," _Brutter said to us once we picked up the second seal piece,_ "Piece of seal, yes? Nice and shiny, huh? All yours! Uh-oh, I think red troopers approaching!"

_Sure enough, hordes of Krimzon Guards suddenly approached us, and I knew they were after the seal piece. "Give us the seal piece!" they commanded. _

_"Out of my way!" I roared, transforming into my dark state and plowing my way through all the guards as they chased after us. _

_"Man, they never end!" Daxter shouted as more guards chased after us as we ran through the slums. _

_Once I turned back to my normal self, I climbed onto my jet board and cruised through the water slums the rest of the way. "We demand you give us the seal piece!" the guards snapped, shooting at us. _

_"Jak, don't fall into the water!" Dax warned me, "I saw something move!" I nodded as I continued to ride the jet board back to the street. When we finally arrived there, we dismounted from the jet board as Brutter congratulated us on our success. _

_"Whew," Dax sighed, "Thank the Precursors that's over!" _

_"Yeah," I agreed, "Let's go back to the hideout." _

* * *

Cloudiness. All I could see in front of me was cloudiness, though it was of the dark variety. To be honest, it scared me. I couldn't really see much else. How long was I out like this?

"**Paige**," a deep, regal voice called out to me, and I strained my ears to listen for it, but nothing came to mind.

"**Paige**_!_" the voice cried again, and then suddenly, in the blink of an eye, I found myself caught in a dream.

There was something in the distance, but what, I couldn't tell. "_Who are you?_" I asked the open air.

"**You should know who am I already, young one.**" And with that, I finally caught a glimpse of who was speaking to me: a large, humanoid creature with large eyes and an anteater-like nose.

"_No way_," I muttered under my breath, "_Are you…?_"

"**Yes. I'm a Precursor. One of many.**"

"_Wow. And I thought that was just a myth._"

"**A myth? We are no myth, young one. I have come to pass on a message to you." **

**"**_Really? What type of message?_"

"**We know where you're originally from, and if you want to return to your home, you must perform one task for us." **

"_Like what?_"

"**First, you must heal from your recent incident, and once you are finished with that, your mission will begin. You will figure out what it is over time." **

"_Or you can just tell me now._"

"**You're a smart girl, Paige. You will figure it out. I must leave now. There is another force pulling you out of this dream." **

"_Wait! Don't leave yet! Come back!_" I ran after the Precursor, but then found myself falling through layers of dreams until another voice yelled at me.

"Paige! Paige, wake up!"

And with that, I felt my eyes snap open as I took in the Underground hideout. My head throbbed, and my body ached all over, and I had to steel myself as I spotted Torn, Eileen, Samos, Jak, and Daxter all standing around me. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down, and once I stopped having a panic attack, I narrowed my eyes in anger.

"I'm going to get that son of a bitch!" I roared, rushing to leap out of bed, but Torn, Samos, and Jak held me back and pushed me down against the pillows behind me.

"Not in your condition, you're not," Samos chided, "You had a blood clot on the back of your head, bruises on your arms, legs, and sides, and a few broken ribs. I've removed the blood clot and placed a towel soaked with Green Eco around your head, and I've placed a Green Eco cast around your torso to hold your ribs in place."

I glanced down at all the Green Eco healing supplies wrapped around me, and I sighed. "Goodie," I sighed, "Thanks for helping me out, though how did I get back here?"

Eileen pointed to Jak and Daxter. "Jak and Daxter found you in Haven Forest," she explained, "A few Metal Heads were about to kill you, but Jak managed to fight them off and get you back here before anything got worse."

I sighed. Jak and Daxter had found me? How? "Thank you," I thanked the demolition duo, "I owe you my life now."

"No problem, toots!" Daxter replied as Jak just nodded.

"How'd you get out there?" the renegade asked.

I sighed. "Kor and I were out there together," I explained, "He said he wanted to talk to me in a place that wasn't the city, and as we arrived there, he stuck out his walking stick and tripped me! You know the rest."

"Kor?" Torn asked harshly, turning to Samos, "Kor did this to you?"

"Yeah," I confirmed, "He doesn't like me too much. And I don't like him."

"Neither does Vin," Jak added, "I don't get why neither of you like him. He hasn't done anything to us."

"He tripped me in the forest!" I yelled, "I don't know what he's trying to do, but I definitely don't like it after that. He said I can't be trusted."

"What do you think?" Torn asked, turning to Samos once again.

"I think we need to think about this carefully," Samos decided, "Why would Kor want to harm Paige?"

"I don't know," Torn answered, "You need to rest right now, Paige, until we can get everything figured out."

"I'll stay here with her," Eileen decided, "To check on her progress."

"Thanks, Eileen," Samos thanked her, "I'd better be heading out as well. We are getting closer to Mar's Tomb. I can feel it." I felt a shiver go down my spine. I wished I wasn't injured right now. I wanted to be out in the action.

That was when Torn turned to Jak and Daxter. "The Baron's coming down pretty hard," he said to them, "Whatever you've been doing, you've really upset him." He smirked to himself.

"I'm just getting started," Jak growled in response, and I smiled as well from where I was laying.

"He's brought in new Krimzon Guard 'Hellcat' Cruisers, making the streets dangerous for the Underground. We've already lost five men this week."

"Your 'men' should be able to take care of themselves... but I wouldn't mind taking out a few Cruisers if that's what you're getting at."

"Never part of a bigger cause, eh Jak? Fine, I'll take your help any way I can get it. Bring down all five 'Hellcat' Cruisers. That should send the Baron a message."

"I think we've sent him enough messages," I piped up from where I was as Jak and Daxter faced me.

"Good luck on this mission," I said to them, giving them a thumbs-up.

"Thanks," Jak thanked me.

"Feel better, toots!" Daxter said next as they left. Torn glanced at me.

"You know, Paige?" he began, "You're all right. You all are. Maybe I was wrong about the three of you."

I widened my eyes at this. "Really?" I asked.

"Yeah. You guys have proven to be really valuable to our cause. At first, I wasn't sure, but now…"

I sighed and patted my torso, which was wrapped in Samos's Green Eco bandages. "Maybe I was wrong about you, too, Torn," I responded. I watched as Eileen glanced back and forth between me and the auburn-haired man, who was sighing and closing his eyes.

"What do you think about the whole Kor question?" Eileen asked him.

"I don't know," he said, "I just don't know what to think about anything anymore. I'm going to go rest and do some thinking while I wait for Jak and Daxter." And with that, he was gone.

"How are you feeling?" Eileen asked, facing me.

"Confused as hell," I groaned, feeling another headache form, "But better." I faced her next.

"What's been going on with you lately?" I asked, "You've been acting just as shady as Kor."

Eileen narrowed her eyes. "No, I haven't!" she snapped, "Just because one guy seems off to you doesn't mean you have to accuse everyone else!"

"I'm just curious, that's all."

She huffed. "If you must know," she explained, "Erol saved my life a few years back, even though I had mouthed off at him."

This caught my attention quickly, and I sat up fast, enduring a little pain in my ribcage. "_What?_" I gasped.

"It's true. Paige…I've done some things I'm not proud of. Things that I'd rather not talk about again. All you have to know is that I was on the verge of dying when he found me and took me to the Fortress hospital to get me medical treatment. That's how I got started working for him when I met you. It was my thank you to him for saving me."

"So what are you trying to say?" I asked softly, "What did you mean when you told me not to make the same mistakes you did?"

"Exactly what I meant," she replied, standing up, "If you knew what I'd done before Erol came along, you would never talk to me again. Just don't get yourself into any… bad habits. I would hate to see that happen to you, too." And before I could answer anymore, she was gone.

* * *

**"Commander," Baron Praxis began as soon as I returned to the Fortress, "Have you found the Tomb yet?" **

**"No, sir," I replied, shaking my head, "Nothing." **

**"This is an outrage!" Praxis snapped, shaking his fist into the air, "So far, none of my men and women have been able to find anything! Why has it been so difficult?" **

**I shrugged. "Never mind," Praxis said, "Don't answer that. We're going to have to think of something else." **

**Suddenly, the door opened behind us, and one of the guards entered the room, dragging Ashelin behind him. "Sir," he began, addressing the Baron, "I caught your daughter relaying information to the Underground." I gasped to myself. Ashelin had been betraying us the whole time? **

**"**_**What?**_**" Praxis boomed, slamming his fist down on the table and causing the other guard and me to flinch. The Baron's daughter, however, remained neutral where she was. **

**"Both of you, out!" he ordered, pointing at me and the lieutenant, "I'd like a word with my daughter." And without another word, the two of us left. Since it was my break at the moment, I decided to go check on Lloyd in the hospital wing. I would need his help in arresting Jak and Paige again. **

**When I got there, however, I noticed something was wrong: he was gone! **_**What the hell? **_**I thought to myself as I glanced at all the unhooked equipment and the trail of Green Eco leaking from his bed to the door. That could only mean one thing: he had escaped!**


	17. The Mar Story

Hooray! Next chapter is here! This story's almost finished. I'm not sure how many more chapters there will be, but the end of the game is getting closer. Thanks again for all the support! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **Only my OCs are mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

* * *

I never realized how _boring _it was just sitting in the Underground after being so involved with the cause. Though I didn't regret going on the front lines anymore, I found myself craving the excitement. I didn't know what would happen when I somehow returned home, and I would worry about it then.

"**Do you see what you have to do now?**" the same Precursor from before asked as I drifted into another sleep in order to continue healing.

"_Sort of,_" I replied, "_I owe Jak and Daxter my life now. They saved me, so do I have to save them in return?_"

"**Something like that. In time, the pieces will come together, and you will start to recognize familiar faces." **

"_Geesh. Could you be anymore cryptic? You're sounding just like Onin now._"

"**This is your chance to redeem yourself. You've done a lot of bad things during your stay here, and this will prove to everyone just how good you really are.**"

"_Well, at least you have some faith in me. But Jak went out of his way to get me out of the forest. That has to count for something._"

"**He has his own destiny to fulfill. You don't, but you must learn to let go of unwanted connections. And permanently as well." **

"Paige!"

I opened my eyes, therefore ending the dream, and I glanced towards the entrance to the room as Torn peeked his head in. "What's going on?" I asked tiredly.

At this, he smirked. "Look what the cat dragged in," he said, grabbing somebody by the arm and pulling him into my view. I gasped when I saw who it was.

"_Lloyd_?" I shrieked, reaching for a book that was on the nightstand next to me so that I could throw it at him. Him and his Green-Eco bandaged arm.

Before I could, however, he began to crack up. "Hi, Smith," he greeted, "Long time no see. _I _should be the one throwing something at _you_! You fucking shot me!"

"What are you doing here?" I asked, opting not to throw anything, seeing as how my ribs were still killing me. Secretly, though, I was glad that I hadn't killed him.

"Ashelin came to talk to me the other day," he explained, "While I was still in the hospital. She told me I should leave the KG while I still could, that everything Erol told us was a lie."

I snorted. "I tried to tell you that," I said.

"I know. But Ashelin was a little…nicer about it."

I rolled my eyes to myself. "So what are you going to do now?" I asked, "Are you part of the Underground now?"

"I don't know for how long, but for now, yeah."

"Then welcome to the fight!" I exclaimed, shaking his hand, "It's always good to have new members." At that, I threw the covers off my bed and started grabbing my things.

"Where are you going?" Lloyd asked me.

I turned to face him. "I'm breaking more rules," I told him, and I was out the door before he could say anything else.

* * *

After hours of resting, I finally felt energized enough to be able to walk. What were a few broken ribs and some bruises? I had sustained far worse injuries as a child, like a broken foot. "Jak! Daxter!" I cried, spotting them in the Bazaar after I checked my communicator for their location.

"Paige!" Daxter gasped once I joined up with them, "You're done getting a little R&R already?"

I thought about my slightly pounding headache. "Just about," I assured them, "I feel fine. I wanted to be in on the action." I wasn't going to tell them about my dreams involving Precursors. I didn't want to raise anymore suspicions about me.

"We're going to see Onin now," Jak announced, "To get the last piece of the Seal."

"Sounds good to me," I replied, and we entered the tent just as we caught Onin and Kor in a conversation. So this asshole was here, huh?

"Expecting that little boy to save us is folly!" he replied to whatever Onin had said, "At his age, he's no match for the Metal Head Leader." He slowly turned around to face us as we made our way inside, and the look on his face was that of genuine surprise. _Bastard, _I thought to myself.

"Oh!" Kor gasped, "Jak! We were just…talking about Samos's plan." He then faced me next.

"Paige," he continued, "What are you doing here?" I just spat at him in response.

"Onin says your voice sounds very familiar," Pecker translated, "I'll bet you two golden oldies go way, _way _back, huh?"

Jak, Daxter, and I stared back and forth between Kor and Onin, who were shooting daggers at each other now, despite the fact that Onin was blind. _I'm glad Vin and I are not the only ones who hate Kor at this point, _I thought to myself.

"Onin needs you to prove yourself, Jak," Pecker interpreted, facing the renegade now, "You've shown your brass and your brawn. Now, you must show your brains, as well. Frankly, I think she's pushing it, but I'm not the boss. Beat this test, and the third piece of the Seal will be revealed."

For the next few minutes, Kor, Daxter, and I watched in silence as Onin shot various symbols out of her magic bowl and tested Jak's reflexes. He was quite good at this game. What _wasn't _he good at?

Throughout the test, Pecker complimented Jak on how well he was doing, or berated him if he missed a symbol, which hardly happened. While we waited for them to finish, I glanced at Kor and wondered why Onin was suspicious of him all of a sudden. Too bad I couldn't ask her now.

"Oh, Paige," Kor whispered to me, and I glanced over at him.

"What the hell do you want?" I snapped.

"Whatever you told the others…it's not true. Why would I try and trip you on purpose?"

"Why _wouldn't _you?" I hissed, "You've been shady from day one. Even Vin and Onin agree with me."

"Vin's always been paranoid. You can't trust anything he says. And they can't trust anything you say, either."

"Why, I oughta-" I began, but didn't finish.

Once the test was finished, the third piece of Mar's Seal floated in front of them and completed the whole artifact. "Behold!" Pecker cried as Jak took the Seal into his hands, "The Seal of Mar is now complete. Onin says the three artifacts you've retrieved from the Mountain Temple..._arrk_... are relics from an ancient Light Tower. Old songs tell how this light tower once shined down on the actual site of Mar's tomb! I sing one of these songs for you." He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to sing.

"_From the mists of time!" _he sang completely off-key, "_Mar's light will shine!_"

In one rare moment of agreement once again, Kor, Jak, Daxter, and I all glanced at each other, mouths hanging open in shock. We cringed when Pecker tried to hit the high notes, causing Kor to drop his walking stick as he covered his ears. "Whoa there, iron lungs!" Jak teased, "Just tell us what we need to do."

"Cretins with no taste, huh?" Pecker spat at us.

"You must take the three artifacts to Mar's gate. Only then will the Light Tower rise and reveal the tomb."

I whipped my head around as I watched Kor sneak out of the tent and walk away. I shuddered for a minute as I realized that wouldn't be the last we would see of Kor. Not after this.

Unfortunately, I couldn't go all the way to the canyon with the others, as a jet board was necessary to get there, but I was still able to watch from where I stood. With a burst of light, I watched as the three artifacts we retrieved in Mountain Temple revealed the Tower of Light, and then after that, the location of Mar's Tomb. According to Pecker, it was right in the middle of the city, in the Town Square. "Let's go, guys!" Jak said to us as we left Mountain Temple to head over to Mar's Tomb. I had to smirk to myself as I noticed the statue of Baron Praxis that used to stand there was gone, destroyed by the Tower of Light.

Once we were there, we climbed onto the elevator and silently rode it downstairs, where Kor, Samos, and the Kid were already waiting for us. They were staring at the tomb in awe, and Samos turned to face us and smiled. "Wow," I whispered to myself, but felt annoyed when I spotted Kor standing here as well.

"You did it, Jak!" Samos exclaimed, "You actually found Mar's tomb!"

"Great!" Jak answered sarcastically, "Now what? We send this poor Kid into a meat grinder?"

"This is the day I've long awaited," Kor whispered to himself, "To finally hold the fabled Precursor Stone in my hands."

_What the fuck? _I couldn't help but think to myself as I whirled around to give him a death stare, and Jak glanced at him as well, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"You must be cautious, child," Samos warned the Kid, "The tests of manhood are sure to be fraught with peril, and Mar's heir must face them alone."

"It's okay, Kid," Daxter piped up, "You can do it. It's just a deep, pitch black, 'sure to be filled to the brim with painful death' old tomb. I wouldn't go in there." The Kid gasped and suddenly looked terrified. _Thanks, Daxter, _I thought angrily, _How reassuring. _But in all honesty, whatever these tests of manhood were, did they really expect a two-year-old to be able to pass them?

Suddenly, the door up ahead opened as a voice announced, "_Welcome, Heir of Mar. Finally, the chosen one stands before me. Enter, and prove yourself worthy to claim the ancient birthright_." The Kid gulped and Jak cautiously stepped forward, gently ushering the Kid along.

"_NO_!" the voice suddenly bellowed, making the renegade stop in his tracks, "_This child is too young to face the tests!_" _That's what I thought, _I said to myself. The door slowly began to close.

"What? No!" Kor yelled desperately.

"Do something, Jak!" Samos added in agreement. Jak began running towards the gate.

"Uhh, Jak?" Daxter began, "Remember the 'sure to be filled to the brim with painful death' part?" He ran after his friend as Jak squeezed through the narrow opening that was left.

Daxter tried to run away, but Jak grabbed him by the tail just as the gate slammed shut. "Aww, shit!" I cursed to myself, "They're locked in!"

"Great tree limbs!" Samos shouted, "He's gone to face the tests!"

"No," Kor disagreed, "He's gone to his death!"

"So now what?" Samos asked.

"We wait for them to return," Kor decided, scratching his back and taking the Kid under his wing once again.

"Hey, Kid," I suddenly piped up, facing the young boy, "Why don't you come over here with me for a little bit?" The Kid glanced from me to Kor and stepped away from the older man for a minute as I took him into my arms. Almost as if this was what I was supposed to be doing.

"Whatever is happening between you two," Samos suddenly piped up, referring me to Kor, "It's got to stop. We don't have time for accusations to go around from people on our own side."

"I'm just being cautious," I repeated to Samos, "And you tell him that next time he tries to hurt someone."

"Why would I do something like that?" Kor asked in a falsely innocent voice, "It is not in my best intention to hurt any Underground members. I'm afraid you are sorely mistaken, Paige."

Growling, I gently pushed the Kid to the side and leaped up to tackle Kor when a new voice interrupted us. "_Freeze!_" it shouted, and when we all looked up, a horde of Krimzon Guards were standing by us, grabbing all of us by the arms and hauling us out of the Fortress.

"Let go!" I shouted, "Samos! Kid!"

"It's going to be all right, Paige," Samos said soothingly, though he was also resisting the guards. Kor didn't have much of a reaction, but in a flash, I saw him take the Kid under his wing again.

Suddenly, I felt someone knock me out, and everything faded to black yet again.

* * *

_Inside the tomb, I stepped on a square in the floor and watched as the second blue beam of light pointed me in the direction of the actual site of the Precursor Stone. The rest of this tomb hadn't been too bad, but I could see why the Oracle didn't want the Kid going in there; many of the tests were dangerous. My kind of mission. _

_ After whipping out my jet board again, I made my way over to the large doors in the distance, where I found Daxter sprawled on the floor. "Daxter, there you are!" I cried, "What happened to you?" _

_ "I had a hairy experience, no thanks to you!" Dax replied. During the first test of manhood, Daxter had somehow ended up being chased by a large spider after clearing the passageway for me. _

_ "At least you have another story to tell Tess now," I teased, smirking as Daxter stuck his tongue out at me. _

_ Suddenly, the Oracle in front of us came to life as the Precursor Stone glowed in its hands. "Welcome, young warrior!" it greeted, "Many eons have passed since our hope burned so brightly. Today, you have proven yourself worthy to receive Mar's legacy." _

_ Daxter puffed up proudly. "He's talking about me!" he insisted, "Thank you, your holy statueness! This tomb wasn't so tough." _

_ But the Oracle kept speaking. "What you are about to receive contains grave power, and with it comes grave responsibility. Eons ago, the Precursors waged a terrible war with the Hora Quan, those dark creatures you refer to as 'Metal Heads'. Driven by their dark leader, the Metal Head legions destroyed our great civilization, and now they swarm the universe unopposed, looking for the last relics of our power. Mar tried to hide the Precursor Stone in this tomb to protect it from them. It is our last hope, and you were chosen to keep that hope alive." _

_ "Gee, no pressure at all," Daxter muttered sarcastically under his breath. _

_ "I think you've got me confused with someone else," I replied, "I just want the Stone." _

_ "It is time to fulfill your destiny. Behold!" The statue opened up to reveal the Precursor Stone in its entirety. _

_ "Wow!" Daxter exclaimed, "Let's get the goods!" _

_ But before we could even take one step, we heard a whirring noise, and soon, a red spider mech flew into the room, and a very familiar face sat in the pilot's seat. _

_ "You fools!" Baron Praxis cried, hovering behind us, "You brought me right to the Stone! Your pitiful Underground friends were no match for my guards above! Now I will gain the power I need to crush my enemies!" He flew further into the room, destroying the bridge that led to the Precursor Stone. _

_ "And after claiming the Stone, I'll begin with you!" Praxis vowed, "Followed by that short-eared traitor!" _

_ "Abomination!" the Oracle thundered, "The Precursor Stone was not meant for you!" _

_ "Do you really think I care?" the Baron shot back. _

_ With a rumble, the doors slammed shut, and moving fast, Praxis approached the Stone and began trying to pry it out of the Statue's hands. _

_ "Give me the Stone!" he growled as the Stone wouldn't budge. Glancing up for a minute, he noticed us just standing there in shock. _

_ "My little friends will take care of you!" he spat, ejecting robot spiders from his mech. I whipped out the Scatter Gun and began taking them all out as the Baron continued to try and steal the Precursor Stone. He couldn't get away with this! There was no telling what he would do next. _

_ "Seems we're not the only ones you have a personal vendetta against!" Daxter shouted to Praxis as we pelted him with some of his own bombs that he had tossed to us, "What else did Paige do to you?" _

_ "That's not important at the moment! Now, die!" He sent a new wave of robots attacked. Praxis also flew down to our level and began to physically shoot at us. We took cover behind the pillars until they were destroyed and used every opportunity to throw the Baron's bombs back at him. _

_ This phase of the fight lasted a little longer before Praxis finally managed to get his hands on the Stone. "He's got the Precursor Stone!" Daxter shouted as the Baron laughed. From inside the mech, Praxis began utilizing the Stone in an attempt to eliminate us, but we never gave up, even as the rest of the pillars collapsed from the impact of the Precursor Stone. The fight only continued to heat up from there until we delivered enough damage in order to destroy the Baron's mech. _

_ However, Praxis made his escape again in an escape pod, and he still had the Precursor Stone in his hands. "Nice try," he taunted, "But the Stone is still mine! Don't worry! I will use the Stone to its full potential! Soon, all who oppose me will be destroyed by its power!" And with that, he flew away. _

_ "Damn!" I cursed, "He got away again!" The doors reopened up ahead, and the two of us used the jet board to navigate our way back to the entrance of the tomb, which was deserted, just like Praxis had said it was. We climbed up the elevator and stole a Zoomer in order to go back to the Underground hideout, which was the only place we could go to at this point. _

_ "How did the Baron know we were close to making a move on the Stone?" I asked Daxter as we entered the hideout, "You don't think Kor did something else shady, do you? I mean, did you hear him outside the Tomb?" _

_ Before Daxter could answer, another sad voice answered instead. "It's my fault." Both of us looked up to see Torn sitting at the center table, his head in his hands, almost in shame. _

_ "What do you mean it's your fault?" I asked suspiciously. _

_ "The Baron threatened to kill Ashelin for spying," Torn replied, "His own daughter! I couldn't risk that, even for the Underground." _

_ "Right," Daxter piped up sarcastically, "Very good thinking! Except that Praxis has the Precursor Stone now, so he can do whatever he wants!" _

_ Torn stood up. "There is still a way to get our friends back, and maybe the Precursor Stone as well," he said, "I'll find Vin. Go to the Fortress and we'll call you." _

_ "And why should we trust you?" I demanded, getting in Torn's face. _

_ "Because you and I both know the Baron would have killed Ashelin." We all sighed and shook our heads. _

_ "It'll be a tough ride through the Fortress," Torn continued, "Probably suicide." _

_ "You just get that door open!" I snarled, "I'll be there!" _

_ "I amazed that it actually wasn't Kor!" Daxter cried in amazement, "We were so sure he was bad for a minute!" _

_ "Yeah, all the accusations against him are getting out of hand," Torn agreed, "Good luck in the Fortress." _

_ I didn't say a word as Daxter and I turned around and left the hideout. _

* * *

With a shove from the guard behind me, I tumbled to the floor as the prison cell door slammed shut behind me. I remembered being confined to these walls two years ago, and I never thought I would be back here as a prisoner. Samos, Kor, the Kid and I had been brought here, and I thought I heard Tess, Eileen, and even Lloyd as well. Oh, Precursors. What was happening to everyone else?

I wasn't sure how much time had passed before I heard my cell door open again. "Well, well," a caustic voice began, "I didn't think I'd see you in this setting again."

Sighing, I faced the doorway, where Erol had graced me with his presence. Yeah, right. Whenever he was around, it wasn't good.

"It's such a shame," he continued insincerely, "You shouldn't be in here. You should be some place…better." He reached out to touch the end of my hair, and I raised my hand and grabbed him by the wrist.

"_Don't…fucking…touch me,_" I growled.

"Oh ho!" Erol boomed, laughing, "The Underground _has _influenced you! A little too much, I'm afraid."

"I'm done running like a dog with its tail in between its legs, Erol," I replied, "You don't scare me anymore. Eileen helped me to stop being a nervous wreck."

At the sound of Eileen's name, the Commander blinked before cracking up. "Eileen?" he echoed, "You went to _Eileen _for advice?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Yes," I hissed, "Why?"

"Don't you know what she's been doing in the Underground this whole time?"

"What are you talking about?" I demanded.

"Paige, Paige, Paige," Erol began slyly, grinning wolfishly, "You're still so _naïve _sometimes. She's been using you to make herself look good while she spies on the Underground."

Suddenly, the air changed. "What are you talking about?" I repeated.

"It's her way of owing me her life," the redhead bastard explained while I began to fume, "She was in…shall we say…_dire straits_? She was helping to trade drugs between Haven and Kras City. I think she was taking whatever drugs she didn't sell on the side." _Oh, Precursors, _I thought, _What the hell is he telling me? I don't want to hear this!_

"But why?" I asked, "I don't understand!"

Erol chuckled. "I don't know all that," he replied, "I think it was something about a bad family life. But one night, she was in bad shape. One of her…friends had roughed her up pretty bad and left her for dead in the street. I had been trying to arrest her for a while, so that was my opportunity. I took her back to the hospital, where she recovered from what had happened, and as a punishment and repayment, she started working for me as a spy in the Fortress."

"Stop it!" I snapped, "I don't want to hear this anymore!"

"Ahh, Paige," Erol sighed, "You've never liked the honest truth. That's too bad."

"Shut up," I snapped, "Just…shut up."

"Don't believe me? You can ask her yourself." He leaned in closer, and I backed up against the wall behind my bunk.

"You think you've changed," he started, "You think you're jaded now. But I still see the same, naïve dog I put to work in the hospital." He smirked at my angry expression.

"You're _unbelievable_!" I roared, swiping at him as he laughed in my face.

"Good night, Paige," he said insincerely, "I'll see you at work tomorrow morning." And before I could get another word in, he slammed the door to my cell shut.

* * *

**Whew, **_**Kor sighed as he wiped his forehead in relief, **_**That was a close one. **

_** Right after he, Paige, the Kid, and the Shadow had been captured, he had managed to somehow escape with the Kid while the others had been taken to the Fortress. **_

**At least Paige will be locked up now, so that she can't accuse me of anything else, **_**he thought to himself as he picked up his walking stick and continued onward. That girl and her role in the war had been bothering him ever since the two of them began to interact, and every time they got into verbal arguments, he felt more of an urge to kill her himself. Clearly, tripping her in the forest and leaving her to the Metal Heads hadn't been enough. No. He was going to have to do the job himself. She was getting on his last nerve, and if she continued to accuse him of being against the Underground, then everyone else would get even more suspicious. **_

_** Did Paige suspect his true nature? Was she somehow able to sense it? He hoped not. The last thing he needed was for her to expose what he really was. **_

**If she had just died in Haven Forest like she was supposed to, I wouldn't have to worry about this, **_**Kor thought, narrowing his eyes. No matter, though. He would think of something. He always did. Then, nobody would be a problem anymore. **_

_** Taking a deep breath, Kor returned to the Underground hideout, where he found Torn sitting alone at the main table, his face in his hands as he just grumbled to himself. As soon as he heard the door open, Torn glanced up. "Where are the others?" he asked quietly, not really in the mood to talk about his betrayal. **_

_** "In the Fortress," Kor replied in his usual, scratchy voice, "How could you betray the cause like that? Do you have any idea what you've done?" **_

_** Torn narrowed his blue eyes. "Unfortunately," he mumbled, "But I had to do it. Ashelin was in trouble." **_

_** "You should be careful next time. That Precursor Stone is very important to us, and if I were you, I would have tried harder to keep it safe," Kor continued to chide him, but that was when Torn looked up and met his gaze. The fact that the older man seemed indifferent to the fact that Torn was trying to protect someone he loved, as well as the way he seemed to take the loss of the Precursor Stone personally, bothered the Underground's second-in-command, and he couldn't help but wonder if Paige and Vin weren't just being paranoid after all. **_

_** "Well," he scoffed, taking out his prized curved knife, "What's happened to you since before all this? You used to care about protecting people close to you. I know you're angry about what I did, but I thought you would be a little more understanding than this. Maybe Vin and Paige were right about you." He looked away, just barely missing the irritated expression on Kor's face. **_

_** "Vin is just worried, as always," the man in the blue robe retorted, "You know he can barely sleep over anything." **_

_** "Yeah," Torn agreed, "But what about Paige? She said you tripped her in Haven Forest, but you told us that she fell on her own accord. Which one is it? Were you trying to kill her or not?" **_

_** "I have already told you that I was not trying to kill her," Kor lied, "Paige is just a liar. Considering she lied about her actions in the Fortress, I wouldn't be surprised if she was trying to deflect the guilt away from herself. It's what her type does. She can't bear to have any bad behavior on her conscience, so she wants to make everyone around her look bad. That's my take on it, anyway." **_

_** Torn just nodded, but something was still nagging at the back of his head. **_**I don't know, though, **_**he thought, **_**Even if she did lie about the Fortress, why would she lie about someone trying to kill her? It just doesn't make sense. **_**"To be honest," he piped up, "I don't know what to believe anymore. I've had enough for today. I'm going to go wait for the others." He got up, moved past Kor, and went to stand by the door. **_

_** "I'll be leaving now," Kor declared, "Don't let Paige's lies poison you. That's what she's trying to do. Poison us all with her underhanded tricks. Don't believe anything else she tells you." **_

* * *

_Eileen, _I thought as I continued to stare at the ceiling above me hours later, _Why? _

I sighed as I tried not to let Erol's words eat away at me. He was an idiot. Him and his self-righteous attitude. I almost started crying, but then I found I was laughing instead. Laughing the most evil laugh I could conjure up.

"Hey, shut up in there!" one of the guards snapped, pounding on my cell.

"No!" I hollered back, "You tell the Commander that his dog won't stop barking!" _Maybe I was naïve in the past, but not anymore, _I thought.

Suddenly, piercing alarms began to ring, and Tess, who had been thrown in here with me a little while after my conversation with Erol, sat up with wide eyes. "What's going on?" I asked.

"That alarm sounds familiar," Tess replied, "Is someone trying to break in?"

"Maybe," I answered, "But who?" I tried to peek through the cell door, but I couldn't, so I stumbled back next to Tess as the door suddenly slowly swung open. Tess just narrowed her eyes and smirked as she placed one hand on her hip once she saw who it was.

"Hey there, sweethearts!" Daxter greeted to us as he grinned at the blonde barmaid, "The Metal Head masher has saved the day! Oh, and I let Jak tag along with me."

"Oh, my little hero!" Tess squealed, picking the ottsel up in her arms as I moved forward out of the cell.

"Thank the Precursors you made it!" I sighed, hugging both of them in return as I felt a slight throbbing in my rib cage.

As we got themselves situated, Jak opened the door to the cell next to us.

"Samos?" he asked cautiously, "Are you all right?"

We peered into the cell to see the Shadow sitting there, as well as…no, I wasn't imagining it…_another, older Samos_! "What took you so long?" he demanded, "I added six rings to my trunk waiting for you two to get me out of here!" He leaped up from his bunk and then gasped when he saw Jak for the first time.

"Great Yakkow horns!" he gasped, "What happened to you, Jak?"

"Wait a minute!" Daxter cried, "You're you! I mean the other you! I mean…you know what I mean."

"Yes," the Shadow jumped in, "It appears I have an older time twin."

I glanced from the young Samos to the old Samos and had to glance down at my injuries, just to make sure I wasn't going crazy.

"Great grass grubs!" the Shadow exclaimed, "I can't believe what a cranky old log I've become!"

"_Two _Samos the Sages?" Daxter shrieked, "Ahh, Jak! They're multiplying!" We all shared a chuckle at this.

"We need to find the Kid pronto!" Samos announced.

"What are you talking about, old growth?" the Shadow snapped, "The Kid already opened the tomb! Our top priority should be to stop the Baron's forces!"

"Oh, look who thinks they've sprouted! If you were half as wise as I am, you'd know that the proper course of action is to find the Kid!" Tess, Jak, Daxter, and I just stared from one Samos to the other as they argued with each other.

"Listen, you old dried up leaf!" the Shadow yelled, "_I _run this outfit, and I say we go after the Baron's forces!" _This is the weirdest thing I've ever seen._

"Do we have to separate you two?" Daxter chided as Tess and I chuckled again.

Suddenly, the warp gate next to us switched on. "Vin's activating the warp gate!" Jak announced, "We need to get out of here now!"

"Where's Kor and the Kid?" the Shadow asked, glancing around, "They were arrested with us at the Tomb!" I just sighed and shook my head. The Kid. I hoped he was all right.

"And Lloyd and Eileen?" Tess asked.

"Who cares about Eileen?" I piped up, much to everyone's surprise.

"What was that?" Daxter asked.

"Let's just go," I replied, and we all jumped through the warp gate.

In a flash, we all ended up back at the Underground hideout, taking a deep breath as Torn met our gazes.

"I knew you all would get back in one piece," he sighed.

"I'm really sorry for betraying all of you," he apologized, "But I had to save Ashelin."

"Don't worry about it!" the Shadow snapped, "What matters now is that you redeemed yourself!"

And with that, I quietly slipped out of the hideout. Next order of business: Keira. I would worry about Eileen later.


	18. The Erol Dilemma

This was one of my favorite chapters to write! Thank you again to everyone who has been reading! I appreciate it! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **Only my OCs are mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

* * *

By the time I got outside, I noticed the streets were in chaos: large, Krimzon Deathbots were storming through the streets, shooting lasers at anyone who got too close to them. _No doubt Jak's going to take care of that somehow, _I thought as I snagged a Zoomer and drove off to see Keira. I would confront her about Erol.

"Keira!" I cried once I dismounted from the Zoomer and entered the garages, "Are you here?"

"In here!" the mechanic replied, emerging from behind her green curtain.

I took a deep breath. "Thank the Precursors I got a hold of you," I sighed, "We need to talk. About Erol."

Keira suddenly frowned and crossed her arms. Why was she suddenly so hostile when she was nice for the last two years? _Oh, shit, _I thought, _I haven't been in a confrontation in a while, which is where this looks like it's about to go. _

"What about him?" she asked defensively.

"Why do you like him?" I asked her.

Keira widened her eyes. "What?" she asked, "What kind of question is that?"

"Why do you like him?" I repeated insistently.

"Why do _you_?" she shot back, to my genuine surprise.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I snapped, "I do _not _like Erol! Actually, I hate his guts!"

"Really?" Keira fired back, "That's not what Erol said."

I narrowed my eyes, and the mechanic continued.

"Erol said you were in obsessed with him to the point of stalking him, and he'd been trying to get you off his back for the last two years."

I had to laugh. Was she serious right now? "Right," I replied sarcastically, "And Erol's mouth is the Bible. Give me a break, Keira, and tell me you don't seriously believe that." She frowned in confusion when I mentioned the Bible, but I ignored it for now.

"You wouldn't understand!" Keira shouted, "Erol was the only friend I had when my family went missing! And you were never my friend! You didn't tell me you knew Jak and Daxter!"

Oh, so she wanted to turn everything around on me now? "I didn't know them for as long as you did," I explained to her, "Besides, I couldn't say anything, anyway."

"And why not?" Keira demanded. _Because I wasn't sure if I was going to disrupt the game timeline somehow, even though I had no idea what would happen, _I thought, _And besides, you didn't act like you gave a shit about Jak before the last race_.

"Is she bothering you, Keira?" a familiar voice asked from the doorway, and we both turned as Erol entered the garage. _Great, _I thought angrily, _Just when this day couldn't get any worse!_

"No," Keira replied, "I'm done talking to her. For good."

"Good, because there's someone outside to see you." Keira glared at me for one last time and then exited the garage, where I heard her emotions changed almost instantly.

"Daddy!" she cried, and that was when I remembered: the older Samos had been released from prison, and he wanted to reunite with his daughter. Which left me with _Erol._

"So you told Keira I was obsessed with you and stalking you, huh?" I began, "Well, that would never be true in a million years. I hate you."

"Nice to see you, too," he replied sarcastically, chuckling as I glared at him, "How'd you get out?"

"You think I would tell you after all this? Not on my life!"

"Oh, I know you will. All this recklessness will get to your head, and then, you'll be begging to come back to the Fortress."

I smirked to myself. "I know you still think I'm the Paige that arrived here two years ago," I replied, "But that girl is gone. _Long _gone."

"Keira?" another voice called out, and Erol and I both glanced at the door in time to see Jak and Daxter entering the garage. The Commander grabbed me by the wrist and emerged from where we were standing until we were out in the open.

"Well, if it isn't the Dark Eco Freak!" Erol began, dragging me behind him as he went to go meet the demolition duo. In the process, he leaned in close to Jak in an attempt to intimidate him, but he failed miserably.

"Where's Keira?" Jak asked.

"Don't worry, I'm keeping a close eye on her." Erol began to circle around Jak as he spoke.

"You're the talk of the town, Jak. You give the people hope; how _pathetic_. I would have enjoyed killing you in prison, but it will be more fun to take you out on the track, in front of the entire city! I can hear the roar of the crowd now, as everyone sees their hope _die_!" He leaned in close to Jak again just as they heard Keira's voice. They both turned towards the doorway.

"It's good to have you back, Daddy," Keira said in relief as she walked with Samos. She appeared to have calmed down since our minor spat before.

"Yes," Samos agreed, "It's nice to be free again."

Erol smirked. "You know," he taunted, "Keira _loves _a winner. Someday, she'll be _my _mechanic!" _Eww, _I thought to myself, _What a pervert._

Jak glared at Erol and snapped, "Stay away from her!"

Erol laughed at Jak's anger as he exited the garage. "Goodbye, Paige," he continued to taunt, facing me next, "Think about what I told you!" I just flicked him off as he walked away.

Keira sighed in bliss and folded her arms together.

"Ahh, Erol's the best racer I've ever seen!" she commented, making Jak and me feel sick.

Next to me, I could feel the renegade starting to get angry. Angry and jealous. "He's not what you think," Jak warned darkly.

Keira narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips defensively. "And _you're _a good judge of character?" she snapped, "_HA!_ Look at you! People say you get angry and…change. Besides, the Jak _I _knew wouldn't be working for a guy like Krew!" _So, I guess I'm not the only one she's angry with, _I thought to myself. I opted out of joining this argument. This was clearly meant for the two of them.

"I need Krew's connections to fight the Baron!" Jak reasoned, "Without my…you know what? Do it your way, and I'll do it mine! Just don't come crying to me when the walls fall down!" He glared at Keira and stormed out of the garage. _Damn, _I thought as I glared at Keira, _This is not going well at all._

"Hey, buddy?" Daxter called after him nervously, "Where are you going there? Jak? _Jak_?"

"_Attention all drivers! The Class Two Races will begin soon_!" a voice announced.

"Now what are we going to do?" Daxter yelped in despair.

"You'll have to drive for the team, Daxter," Keira told the ottsel, "We need this win to qualify for the final championship."

"How hard can it be? Just hold on tight and point the thingy where I want it to go, right? And then there's this other thingy that makes it go fast. Fast is good! I can do this. I'm ready to race!" And with that, he disappeared from the garage and sprinted to the race track.

"Good luck, Dax!" I called after him, which earned a glare from Keira.

"_Never _call him Dax again," she growled.

"Sorry, Keira, but I'm out of here," I said to her, "I'm not putting up with this crap right now."

"Because you know you're wrong!" she shouted after me as I turned and left, "You and Jak are both _wrong_!"

* * *

Just like with the Class Three Race, the Class Two Race was exciting as well, and the crowd was going wild as all the racers got situated. I quickly glanced around, just in case Erol was lurking through the stands, but he didn't seem to be here this time. Maybe his ego was taking an even bigger hit than before. Good.

I did see Jak, however, and he was sitting in the same place I had sat during the Class Three Race. "Jak!" I cried, waving to him, and he glanced over at me before looking back to the track.

"You okay?" I asked as I took a seat next to him.

"No," he replied, "I can't believe her! After everything we've been through…" He trailed off there, and I knew it was best to just leave it alone. He was watching this race to blow off steam, not to get even angrier. The two of us just sat in silence as the race began.

"I guess I blew our chances of getting into the Palace," Jak mused, but then a second later, he leaned forward in his seat as his eyes widened.

"No way," he whispered, "Is that…_Daxter _racing down there?"

I squinted my eyes as I watched the ottsel claim first place almost right away. "Looks like it," I replied, "He's pretty good, too. I wonder how his feet reach the pedals."

"Beats me. I can't believe he came through for me!" I grinned to myself as Daxter continued to race for us. He and Jak, fair to say, were good competition for Erol, which was something I knew the redhead needed.

After the next few laps, the race ended, with Daxter claiming first place. "Woo!" he cheered, "I won! I won!"

"WOOHOO!" Jak and I both cheered, leaping up from our seats and pumping our fists in the air.

"He did it!" I cried, "_Man, _you two kick ass!"

"Thanks," Jak thanked me, smiling a little bit, "That was great! Let's go find him."

And on the way out, I realized I was wrong about one thing: Erol _was _there, and he was glaring at us to the point where if looks could kill, we would have been dead already. It was then that I remembered he didn't want me rooting for the underdogs. I guessed Daxter counted since he raced for Jak. As for him giving Jak a death stare…that was pretty self-explanatory. When I glanced over my shoulder again, I saw that he was gone, storming away through the crowd. "Shit," I muttered under my breath, "Anger issues, much?"

"Don't let him get to you," Jak said to me as we walked back to the garage, "He's not worth it."

"It's kind of hard to do that when he's stalking me," I sighed, "It's to try and get to you. I just know it."

"I think _he's _scared of _us._"

I snorted. "Really?" I asked, "You think so?"

"It makes sense. There's two of us and one of him, he knows what I…turn into, and you've come out of your shell."

"You know? That _does _make sense. You've got a point there, Jak. We can beat Erol."

"_That's _what I want to hear."

I laughed in spite of myself. Maybe this was the start of Jak becoming a friend of mine, against all odds.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him, "You okay?"

Before he could answer, voices greeted us from the garage, and we moved closer so that we could see what was going on. "Now, _there's _a handsome winner!" Daxter commented with pride as he, Keira, and Tess all stood around the trophy.

"You did it, Daxter!" Keira cheered, "You helped us qualify for the big race!"

"Did you ever doubt?" Daxter shot back, "I backseat drive for Jak all the time!" He turned to Tess and added, "Hey! When do I get the winner's big kiss?"

Tess grinned and patted him on the head. "Maybe later," she answered, "If you're a good boy."

Taking a deep breath, Jak and I entered the garage. "Hey there," Daxter greeted cautiously as Tess and Keira glanced up apprehensively as well.

"We, uh, showed those Class Two losers a thing or two, huh?" Daxter asked nervously.

Jak nodded. "We saw," he replied, "You drifted a little high on the turns a few times, but you hung in there. I'm proud of you, Dax." He pounded fists with Daxter.

"Really?" Daxter asked proudly.

Jak nodded again. "Yeah, you did great." He grinned.

Daxter jumped up on his shoulder. "No, _we _did great!" he corrected, "Right partner?"

Jak looked up and glanced from Tess to Keira, and he left the shop without saying another word to Keira. The mechanic gazed at him sadly, and then she faced me as I turned and walked away as well.

* * *

When we arrived at the Hip Hog after the dramatic Class Two Race, we immediately spotted Sig sitting in one of the booths, Krew floating around by the bar as he took a nap…and Lloyd and Eileen in another booth. Both Lloyd and Eileen glanced up and waved at me. I turned away from them as we sat down with Sig.

"Hey, toots," Daxter began, "Aren't you gonna invite your other friends over?"

"No," I replied.

"Whoa," the ottsel said, "That's a little…uhh…_harsh_, don't ya think?"

"Can we drop it, please?" I asked in an exasperated voice.

"What's going on, Sig?" Jak asked as we raised cups of water to our lips.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking, cherries," Sig responded, "And you all are all right. Since the boss is out of it right now, I'm going to give it to you straight. I've been Krew's heavy for years, and I've done things I'm not proud of, but this time, I think Krew's gotten himself and us, into something really nasty. I'm thinking of getting out."

"I know exactly how you feel, Sig," I told him, thinking about Erol and Praxis. Erol. What was he up to now?

"Oh!" Dax gasped, "Sig's beginning to like us! Come here, you big lug! Hugs for everyone!"

"Knock it off!" Sig snapped, slamming his cup on the table, "I think Krew's trying to…" He trailed off there.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Shh!" Sig whispered, "He's waking up." We all glanced up at Krew as he yawned and opened his eyes.

"Relax," Daxter chided, "Watch me butter up bun boy."

"Oh, _no_," Jak groaned, face-palming himself as I tried not to laugh. Daxter walked over to Krew and faced him.

"Hey there, stuffed crust. How's it feel floating on top of the food chain? Whooooo... Krew meister... have you been exercising? You're looking good! You are... definitely... living large! And... those legs... they're so... ah, chiseled." _Just stop there, Daxter, _I thought to myself as I chuckled a little bit.

"I need you to escort three of my boys down into the sewers and visit that statue again," Krew explained as if he hadn't heard a word Daxter had just said, "I've heard that Mar's cheeky face might contain another secret, and I want you to see if the stories are true, eh? Make sure all three of my boys get to that statue, and they'll do all the rest, mmm?"

"Let's go, Dax," Jak said to the ottsel, "Are you coming, Paige?"

"Nah, I think I'll park it here for a while," I said, "You guys go ahead. Meet back here at the end?"

"Sure. Come on, Dax!" And with that, the two of them were out the door, and I faced Lloyd and Eileen, who were still staring at me with neutral expressions. Daxter was right: maybe I was being too harsh by ignoring them, so I decided to go talk everything out with them once and for all.

"I was wondering when you were going to acknowledge us," Lloyd teased as I sat down next to him.

"Look, Lloyd-"

"David," he interrupted, "Just call me David."

"All right, then, David," I said in response, facing Eileen next, "So I know all about you, Miss '_I was spying on the Underground the whole freaking time_'!"

Eileen blinked and looked away. "I told you that you weren't going to like what you heard," she quipped, "Who told you?"

"Erol," I replied, "He spilled your whole life story. Drug trading, Eileen? Really? And taking them, too? That doesn't sound like you."

"My family was in a bad situation," the nurse replied, "We were tight on money and about to be evicted! They didn't know I was selling drugs, but I had to help them somehow. We were desperate! And I guess I got a little carried away in the process."

"So _that's _what you meant when you said not to make the same mistakes you did, and why you didn't want me being so reckless a few nights ago."

"That's right. Paige…I'm so sorry I lied this whole time. I just didn't want you to end up like me. It killed me every day to see you being controlled like that in the Fortress, especially since I could tell you were trying to get away from Erol."

I chuckled a little bit. "I was that easy to read, huh?" I replied.

"Like an open book," Eileen said, "We don't have to be best friends, but at least give me another chance. We're all in the same boat now, and now that David's left the KG, we have even more people on our side."

"Erol's after all of us now," David added, "We've got to stick together."

I sighed and thought about it for a minute. "Right," I decided, "David, I'm sorry I shot you. It was completely impulsive and I'm glad I didn't kill you."

"You still owe me for that," he teased, "I'm not letting you off the hook that easily."

"You or Jak," I muttered, and we chuckled quietly. Although I was still a little angry with Eileen, maybe she could turn herself around again. We would have to wait and see.

* * *

_The Sewers were no walk in the park, and I hoped this would be the last time we would have to come here. Escorting Jinx, Mog, and Grim was taxing, especially after the huge ambush we had just somehow lived through, as well as the fact that they had blown up almost everything in our path. Taking a deep breath, I reloaded my Vulcan Fury once all the Metal Heads were gone. What could Mar's Statue have been hiding now? _

_"Ooo," Mog gasped, "Pretty statue…" _

_"Stand back," Jinx ordered, "We're professionals." Wait a minute. What were they planning? _

_All right, boys! Let's blow this sucker sky high!" _

_"Wait!" I cried, "Who told you to-NO!" _

_BOOM! The Statue exploded, and Mar's head collapsed to the ground and slid to a stop at my feet. For some reason, I felt even angrier than I normally did. _

_"That's what we're looking for!" Jinx cried, "The Heart of Mar gem! Thanks for the escort, buddy! We'll take it back to Krew!" _

_"Can you believe them?" Daxter cried as we made our way out of the Sewers as well. Along the way, Krew contacted us, informing us that a mini-version of the Peacemaker was waiting for us at the Gun Course. _

_"Sweet!" I cried, forgetting about my hostility towards Jinx, Mog, and Grim for a minute. We were so excited that we hurried through the city to get to the Gun Course. _

_"All right!" Daxter cried once we arrived and I was in the middle of attacking the Peacemaker mod onto my mod gun, "Our own Peacemaker! Now, we're talking!" _

_"I can't believe we finally have one!" I replied as we walked back to the Hip Hog. By the time we got there, Tess had arrived, and she and Paige were talking at the bar. Lloyd and Eileen were nowhere to be seen, and neither was Sig. Perhaps they had left to go do some missions. _

_"Hey, guys!" Tess and Paige greeted facing us. _

_"Whoa," Paige gasped, "Is that a Peacemaker?" _

_"Yes it is, toots!" Dax replied proudly as I held it up. However, the incident in the Sewers had returned to my mind, and I sighed once again. _

_"What's wrong?" Tess asked. _

_"Krew's men blew up Mar's Statue!" I shouted indignantly, "Talk about disrespectful!" Tess sighed and shook her head as she reached out and began stroking Daxter's back. _

_"Well, Krew doesn't exactly seem like the most moral person," Paige said in response as Tess spoke up from next to her. _

_"Listen, Jak," Tess began, "I think Keira feels really bad about what happened earlier." _

_I sighed deeply. "What's there to feel bad about?" I asked, "She worships Erol." _

_Tess gave me an incredulous look. "Keira worships Erol?" she echoed, "Hardly." _

_"She thinks he's the best racer in Haven City! She doesn't know a thing about him." Tess averted her eyes, almost as if she knew something and wasn't telling me. _

_"I think she'll see sense one day," Paige assured us, "We all know Erol's an asshole." _

_"And Keira still has a good heart," Tess added, but before either she or Paige could continue, Krew floated down by all of us. _

_"Hey!" he bellowed to Tess, "Back to work, toots!" _

_Dax jumped up. "She's working, beach ball!" he snapped, "Quit your yapping!" _

_"Watch it!" Krew warned, "Or you'll be yet another trophy hung on these walls!" Paige glanced at the walls and looked unimpressed with what she saw. _

_Krew growled before smiling wickedly at me. "Jak, I want you to throw the championship race," he declared, "Just let Erol win." _

_I felt my eyes widen in comprehension. "You bet against us?" I growled, clenching my fists. _

_"Jak, Jak," Krew purred, fanning himself, "It's just business. You've become a symbol to those townies; they'll bet anything on a glimmer of hope. What better time to make money? What do you say, my boy?" _

_I turned away from Krew, folded my arms, and replied, "I'd say you're going to lose a lot of money. Because I'm going to race, and I intend to win." _

_"Yeah, you tell him, Jak," Paige whispered to me encouragingly. _

_"Ooo!" Krew screamed in frustration, "You little! You've become a lot more trouble than you're worth! I wouldn't get too comfy if I was you. Everyone's expendable." Daxter fainted and Tess attempted to revive him. Krew scowled and then hovered closer to the ceiling. _

_"In a hurry to die, boy?" an all too familiar voice suddenly asked. Dax, Paige, and I all whirled around to see Erol standing two feet behind us and wearing a scowl on his face as well. _

_"Well, we don't have to wait for the big race!" he continued, poking my shoulder, "We can do this right now! One on one, through the city, using accelerator rings. Hit every ring from start to finish; miss even one ring and it's over!" He turned away from me. _

_"Keira already thinks you're a loser, and I'll prove it now! Once and for all!" _

Oh, no you don't_, I thought, enraged. I was not about to let Erol take Keira away from me, no matter how angry I was with her. "You're on!" I agreed, raising my fist to meet Erol's. Erol smirked and turned to walk out of the Saloon, and I followed in angry strides. _

_"What's the matter, Erol?" Paige suddenly taunted from behind me, "Too chicken to fight Jak with your bare hands?" I still couldn't believe this was the same Paige that had been such a prude at the beginning of all this. _

_The Commander turned around again and glanced at all of us. Oh, no. What was he thinking? He may have been a bastard, but he wasn't stupid. "So that's how you want to play?" he said to her, "Fine. Let's make a bet." I glared at him and folded my arms as Paige moved to stand next to me. _

_"If you win, which won't happen, we can just forget all this happened." Somehow, I didn't think he would. _

_"And if I win," he continued, grabbing Paige by the wrist, "I get to keep Keira, and Paige will go back to the hospital. And this time, you won't get back out." _

_"No way!" Paige gasped, "You're not going to play fair!" I somehow knew that already, too. _

_"You should have kept your mouth shut," Erol said to her, and she glared at him, "Let's go!" _

_Paige gulped from where she stood. "Good luck, Jak," she whispered to me, "Make sure you win!" _

_"I intend to," I assured her as I left the Hip Hog. _

_Outside, I noticed Erol was patiently waiting for me as I climbed onto the vacant Zoomer next to him. "I'm surprised you waited for me instead of just getting a head start," I mused. _

_Erol smirked as he lowered his racing mask. "I decided to play fair," he replied, "But just this once." He pulled out his pager. _

_"Troops!" he announced, "If the Eco Freak runs you over with his Zoomer, don't arrest him. I'm dealing with him myself." He pocketed the pager and then turned back to me. _

_"Ready to lose?" he asked. _

_"Not as ready as you are!" I cried, starting the engine on my Zoomer and speeding down the street. Erol remained not too far behind me as we turned right and entered the farm sight/gardens near the Bazaar. I carefully cruised through all the accelerator rings, putting on a burst of speed with each one. I felt Erol repeatedly try to rear-end me, but to no avail, and the twists and turns through the Bazaar didn't help much. _

_"Look out!" Daxter cried as I narrowly missed crashing into a pillar outside the Palace. _

_"You need purple clearance to enter this sector," a voice announced, but we both ignored it. I continued to drive, determined to beat Erol at his own game. I hated to think of both Keira and Paige stuck in Erol's grasp, especially after recent events. _

_"Hey, he's cheating!" Dax suddenly cried angrily as we arrived in the Stadium. We noticed Erol was not flying through the accelerator rings like we were. _

_"What gives?" I shouted. Erol cut in front of us and laughed evilly. _

_"I said you had to fly through all the rings," he reminded us, "I never said I had to. See you at the Stadium!" He accelerated and flew away. _

_"Oh, that bastard!" I snapped, "I knew he wouldn't keep to his word." Nevertheless, I continued to drive anyway until I caught up with the Commander once again. _

_"This is my city, Eco Freak!" Erol snapped, attempting to make us crash into the wall and nearly succeeding, "Back off!" _

_"Never!" I replied, cutting in front of Erol just as we drove through a few more twists and turns of the Stadium section. The turns became sharper and tighter, but both of us were feeling pumped by the time we actually arrived at the Stadium. _

_"There's the last ring!" Daxter cried, and speeding up a little bit, I managed to clear it. _

_"YES!" I cried, pumping my fist into the air. I knew we would be able to beat Erol! Keira and Paige were both free. _

_We glanced around as Erol flew towards us, and he didn't look happy. His ego had been knocked down even more now, apparently. He flew even closer until he was right next to us. _

_"Don't get too cocky, outlaw!" he warned, "Next time, we race for keeps, and your head will be my trophy!" He gunned his engine to life and flew away. _

_"Ahh, blow it out your ear!" Daxter called after him, "You were bottle fed, weren't you?" I smirked at the retreating Erol. _

_"Looks like Keira and Paige are free now," I commented, taking out my communicator. _

_"Paige, it's Jak," I announced, "We won! We beat Erol!" _

_"_Hooray!" _she shouted from the other end, "_Let's celebrate! Meet me back at the hideout?_" _

_"Sure. We'll see you then!_"

* * *

_**This isn't happening, **_**I thought as I flew back to the Hip Hog on the same path the race had taken place, **_**I just lost to the Eco Freak!**_

**How did this happen? I was the Grand Champion! I **_**never **_**lost! If I came in second place now, what would happen at the Championship race? I didn't want to think about it. **

**Only Krew and Paige were still at the Hip Hog by the time I got back, but it looked like Paige was on her way out. "Erol?" she asked cautiously, but I could tell she already knew I had lost. **

**"Get out," I snapped at her. **

**"What?" she said. **

**"Leave!" I ordered, "And if I see you or the freak again, you're mine! Got it?" **

**She didn't run, but she turned and walked briskly out of the Saloon. **

**"What happened, Erol?" Krew asked as he flew down in front of me, "Did you lose to Jak?" **

**"Unfortunately," I answered, "He will not take my title! He won't stand a chance in the Class One race!" **

**"Don't worry, eh," Krew replied, "We'll make sure he doesn't win." **

**"Are you doing this for me or for you?" **

**"We'll both benefit in the end, mmm? We just have to think about this carefully." But I could practically see the dollar signs in his eyes, and I rolled my eyes. As long as he helped me defeat Jak once and for all, I would be happy. He would never challenge me again.**


	19. Pasts Revealed

Next chapter is up! Thanks again for the reviews! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **Only my OCs are mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

_Italics- _Third-person flashback

**_Bold and Italics- _**Third-person POV

* * *

Jak beat Erol. Jak had actually _beaten _Erol in their street race before! I couldn't say I was surprised, but I was happy for them. Now, if things could work out between Jak and Keira, everything would be fine.

As of now, I was waiting for them to get back so that we could celebrate Jak's victory when my communicator suddenly went off. "_Paige, it's Jak!_" Jak began from his end, "_Change of plans. Samos wants us to go out to Dead Town to retrieve something for him from the Sacred Site._"

"Goodie," I replied, "Want me to come with you?"

"_I don't know, toots,_" Daxter added jokingly from their end, "_Think_ _you're feeling up to it?_"

"Anything to get me out of the hideout for a while," I replied.

"_We'll see you there,_" Jak said, going offline, and I grabbed my helmet and Eco Pistol, but for a minute, I just stared at the helmet. What was the point of still wearing it? Almost everyone knew about my ears by now, and I had learned to appreciate them in this world. Nobody had given me hell over them in a while, so I didn't see the point in still wearing it. Just as I was getting ready to head out, I heard a voice behind me.

"Where are you going?" David asked as he emerged from a side room.

"I'm going to Dead Town with Jak and Daxter," I explained to him, "Why?"

"Take my Vulcan Fury," he said, sliding it across the table towards me, "Those Metal Heads are a piece of work out there."

"But what about you?" I asked.

"I've got another one and a Blaster Mod back by my bunk. Eileen and I are going to do some snooping around in the Palace. Wish us luck."

"Good luck," I said to him, "Thanks for the weapon." He winked, and then was out the door.

"So, he's switched over to the good side, huh?" Torn asked as he entered the room and watched the door to the hideout close.

"Looks like it," I said breezily, shrugging, "Ashelin got through to him somehow."

"Ashelin," Torn muttered, shaking his head, "I hope she's all right after what happened before…"

_He likes her, _I thought to myself as I slipped David's Vulcan Fury in my side holster and exited the hideout.

* * *

"Ready to do this?" I asked Jak and Daxter once we arrived at the gate leading to Dead Town. I had run into them along the way, so we were now all riding out there together.

"I'm not ready to go clean old Grandpa Green's hut!" Daxter piped up once we dismounted from the Zoomer and watched the gate open.

"So you knew this place when it was Sandover Village?" I asked as we actually entered Dead Town, "What was it like?" After _not _knowing this whole time, either from them or my sisters, it was time to ask, now that things had sort of died down.

"Better than this _dump_, that's for sure," Daxter answered.

"Those were good times," was all Jak said as he gestured to the ruins, "All this used to be filled with beaches, jungles, snowy mountains, and Rock Village! Remember, Dax?"

"Yeah!" the ottsel replied, "And Geyser Rock!"

"I'm surprised Keira didn't mention anything to you," the renegade continued, "Since you apparently knew who she was for a while. Why didn't you tell us you knew her?"

"I'm not sure," I lied, "She never mentioned a lot to me during the two years I knew her. How did you all get here?"

Before Jak could answer, Daxter suddenly gasped. "Look at that!" he cried, pointing to a suit that was situated right next to us.

"Damn," I whispered to myself, "I don't think we're all going to fit in there."

"This is a Titan Suit, apparently," Jak said, reading the side of the machine before hopping in.

"What about you, Paige?" Daxter asked as he pressed his face against the glass.

"I'll be fine," I assured them, holding up the Vulcan Fury David had given me before, "I'll just follow behind you guys and cover for you."

"Sounds good," Jak decided, "Be careful." I nodded and backed up as Jak used the Titan Suit to smash the wall ahead of us. _Wow, _I thought, _That's pretty badass. _

Metal Heads greeted us on the other side, and they immediately leaped onto the Titan Suit. Raising my Vulcan Fury, I began to shoot at them, though the rapid rate of fire caught me off guard in the beginning. This was nothing like the standard Eco Pistol or the Scatter Gun. I was a bad shot with this one, which I hoped would improve over time.

"This way!" Jak cried after I was finished collecting the Skull Gems from the Metal Heads. There were more of these metal monsters up ahead, which I quickly took care of as Jak and Daxter continued to use the Titan Suit to get around.

A few times, Jak used the suit to move around blocks so that he could either climb on top of them to get to the next level, or he used them later on to destroy pillars in order to create a bridge for us.

"Hey, Paige!" Dax shouted from inside the suit, "How are you holding up down there?"

Taking a deep breath after reloading the Vulcan Fury again, I held up the bag of skull gems and replied, "Does this answer your question?"

"I think so," Jak quipped as he continued to use the suit to get through the ruins. There didn't seem to be anymore Metal Heads around, so I put the Vulcan Fury away and readjusted the Green Eco bandage wrapped around my head. I would ask the older Samos to take a look at it when we got back, since he and the Shadow were the same person.

"I spent many a day cleaning up this place for old greenie," Daxter commented once he and Jak climbed out of the suit and we were in the hut. I had never set foot in it before, so this was all new to me.

"_Good work, Jak, Paige!_" Samos complimented, "_And... Daxter, I suppose. Before we came through the rift long ago, I was nurturing that Life Seed from the Great Tree. It seems the Metal Heads are attracted to its power. Take the seed to Onin now. She will prepare it for Samos._" How awkward was that to refer to himself in the third person?

"You mean you?" Daxter asked, just to make sure.

"_No, the other me, Daxter! My younger self needs the seed's power to become... sagely._" _Somebody's grumpy, _I thought, _At least the younger Samos isn't as bad._

"_So... let me get this straight. It's fair to say that by bringing your younger self the life seed now, we helped you become the sage you are today? We helped you get your powers in the first place. And you never thanked us?_"

"_Thank you, Daxter. Now go do it!_"

"Well, isn't he just filled with rays of sunshine?" I asked as I carried the Life Seed in my hands out of the hut.

"He's been like that for as long as I can remember," Jak sighed, shaking his head, "Even after two years, he's never changed."

"What Rift was he talking about just now?" I asked, "Similar to what Keira was referring to before the Class Three Race?"

"I'm surprised she didn't tell you," Jak repeated from before as we headed back to the city, "This is what happened…"

* * *

_The blue skies shined overhead as Jak looked up with pride. He was standing in the Rift Rider they had just moved from the garage to this lab and was anxious to see the results. The lab overlooked the harbor, where a Rift Ring was situated in front of them. _

_ "Today's the big day, Jak!" Samos, his caretaker for most of his life and the Green Eco Sage, exclaimed excitedly, "I hope you are prepared for whatever happens." _

_ "I think I've figured out most of this machine," Keira Hagai, one of his best friends, announced as they all took their seats, "It interacts somehow with that large Precursor ring. I just hope we didn't break anything moving it here to the lab." _

_ "Easy for you to say!" Daxter piped up, "We did all the heavy lifting!" Daxter reached out to press a button, but Samos stopped him. _

_ "Daxter!" he chided, "Don't touch anything! Though the Precursors vanished long ago, the artifacts they left behind can still be used for great harm." _

_ "Or great good," Keira added, "If you figure out how to use them." _

_ "I've had experience with such things," Samos said encouragingly, "I know you can make it work." _

_ Jak looked down at an artifact that was lodged into the Rift Rider, reached out, and pressed it. _

_ "Looks like Jak's still got the mojo!" Daxter complimented as Jak beamed. Keira, however, was looking at another artifact. _

_ "Interesting," she mused, "It appears to be reading some preset coordinates." Suddenly, the ground shook around them as the Rift Ring activated itself, hovered in the air, and turned the sky purple. Streaks of purple light shot into the sky around it. _

_ "Wow," Daxter gasped, "Look at that!" _

_ At that moment, strange, flying creatures appeared from the Rift Ring as an ominous voice announced, "Finally, the last Rift Gate has been opened!" The flying creatures multiplied and swarmed around the four of them. _

_ "Ahh!" Daxter screamed, "What are those things?" _

_ "So this is how it happened…" Samos muttered to himself low enough so that the others wouldn't hear him. _

_ At that moment, another creature appeared in the Rift Ring; it had a hideous face, claws, wings, and sharp teeth. It swept its gaze over everyone until it found Jak. _

_ "You cannot hide from me, boy!" it boomed, smiling at a frightened Jak. _

_ "Do something, Jak!" Keira insisted. _

_ "What does this button do?" Daxter shouted in panic, "Uhh, what about this one? Everyone, push all the buttons!" Jak pressed a button and sent the Rift Rider through the gate with a burst of acceleration as they nearly missed getting swiped at. _

_ As they traveled through the purple path, Keira sighed and asked, "What was that thing?" _

_ "Hang on, everyone!" Samos warned as the Rift Rider picked up speed. _

_ "AHHHHHHH!" Daxter yelled, "I want off this thing!" _

_ Suddenly, a burst of lightning struck the vehicle, sending everyone tumbling into oblivion. Keira screamed and Daxter held on to Jak's leg. _

_ "Find yourself, Jak!" Samos advised him before disappearing into thin air. Keira followed suit, which left Jak and Daxter on their own. After a few more minutes of tumbling through time, they crash landed near what would later become known as the Power Station to them. As they dusted themselves off, Jak took a look around at the city around him. At the time, he was still mute, but he was still confused as hell. This setting was so different from Sandover. _

_ "I swear!" Daxter began from next time, "That's the last time I ever…EVER…touch any stupid Precursor crap!" _

_ The clicking of boots suddenly grabbed their attention. "There he is!" an authoritative voice cried, "Move in!" Both of them looked up to see Erol and his squadron at the time closing in on them almost immediately. _

_ "Step away from the animal!" one of the guards snapped, pointing his gun at Jak, and Daxter screamed, darted in between Erol's legs, and ran to safety. _

_ "Forget the rat!" Erol commanded, "The Baron wants him!" He pointed at Jak, who was still looking around in confusion. _

_ "We've been waiting for you," the Commander told him just as another Krimzon Guard hit him with the butt of his rifle, knocking him unconscious. _

_ The last thing he heard before he went under was Daxter shouting to him. "Don't worry, Jak! I'll save you before you know it!" _

* * *

"Oh, _Precursors,_" I petitioned, remembering that day and finally putting some pieces together, "I'm sorry you had to go through that." Jak shrugged and stared down at his Peacemaker.

"Jak, I have to tell you something," I continued, "I saw you get carried into the Fortress that day."

"You did?" he asked, surprised.

I nodded. "I was in the cell right next to you. I was thrown in there shortly before you arrived, but I remember it really well now. Erol carried you in and put you in there, and…well…you know the rest."

"Didn't you say you were arrested?" Daxter asked.

"I was," I confirmed, "For being caught outside the city gate in Haven Forest. At the time, I didn't even know that was against the rules."

"How did you get here again?" Jak asked, "I don't think you ever told us."

_I got sucked into my copy of a videogame, _I thought sarcastically to myself, shaking my head. "I'm not sure," I half-lied, "I was just sitting at home thinking about what I was going to say to my best friend, Anna, and the next thing I knew…I pressed a button on my television, and I ended up in Haven Forest."

"So you did a time jump, too?" the renegade questioned.

"Not exactly," I explained, "It was more like a dream jump. This whole adventure has felt like a dream, yet it's not. Does that make _any _sense whatsoever?"

"In this world…maybe," Jak said, even though he was giving me a look that indicated he knew that I was leaving some parts out. I thought about the Precursor from my dreams, and I continued to think about what else my mission entailed while we visited Onin. _Onin! _Maybe she knew something about that.

Of course, Pecker bombarded us the minute we arrived at Onin's tent again, and he looked none too pleased with us. "Onin says, _what took you so long_? We had to skip lunch waiting for you three!" Pecker snapped, and then amended, "Okay... okay... She really says 'Thank you for saving the Life Seed'. But I wouldn't say that if I were her! Give Onin the seed, and she will prepare it for Samos." I handed it over, and we watched in silent fascination as she began to prepare the seed. Onin was just a mysterious character overall.

"Mmm," Pecker suddenly hummed, breaking me out of my thoughts, "Bird seed…" _Oh, no, _I thought, face-palming myself.

"Back off, feather weight!" Daxter snapped.

"Listen tiny tail, I was leading my hundredth flock south before you had fur one between your legs! Not that your fur means anything!"

"At least I'm not some overstuffed, over yappin', feather dusty mouthpiece for the world's oldest professional!" Jak and I just glanced at each other, and Jak shrugged as Daxter started walking around the room and doing silly gestures.

"Jak says, 'have a nice day.' Jak says, 'I can't think on my own.' Jak says 'Go bite yourself!'"

"Daxter!" I gasped, "Was that necessary?"

"That's it, rat boy!" Pecker fumed, "Now you've really pissed me off!" With a war cry, he lunged for Daxter, and the two of them began to fight on the floor of the tent. I glanced up at Onin to see that she was still busy with the Life Seed. I'd have to ask her about my mission after that.

"Knock it off!" Jak scolded, grabbing both Daxter and Pecker and prying them off each other, "Both of you!" I just shook my head.

"You're lucky I'm famished!" Pecker sighed, "Onin says take the energized Life Seed to young Samos in Haven Forest. It will give Samos the power he needs to finally see the forest from the trees! Go. Quickly!"

I sighed and faced Pecker. "Before we go," I began, "Is it okay if I ask Onin-"

"Go!" Pecker cried again, interrupting me, "Before the energy wears off!" And with that, he flew into the air and began shoving us all towards the door until we were out in the open again.

* * *

_**"Think we'll find anything interesting here?" Eileen asked David as they waited for a few Krimzon Guards to pass before sneaking into Praxis Palace as janitors. **_

_** "I hope so," David replied, "For the Underground's sake." **_

_** "I'm just glad you've switched sides, that's all," the nurse told him gratefully. **_

_** "You, too," he responded, "The Underground is gaining more and more new members. Maybe this'll be the end of Praxis." **_

_** "It better be." **_

_** They continued to pretend to clean the floors around them whenever the Krimzon Guard passed by them until they arrived at the Throne Room. Inside, Erol, Praxis, Ashelin, and a few other guards were standing around as they talked about the situation at hand. **_

_** "Sir," one of the guards began, addressing the Baron, "We just got word that the prisoners are headed towards Haven Forest. And they're carrying some sort of seed with them." David and Eileen just glanced at each other. **_

_** "We already have troops on our way there now to take care of the situation," Erol added next, and both Underground agents could see that Ashelin had a neutral expression on her face. It was hard to tell what she was thinking. **_

_** "We must destroy them at all costs!" another guard shouted, making Eileen and David feel sick. Feeling that they had enough information, they turned to leave, but not before Erol suddenly whirled around and spotted them. **_

_** "You two!" he shouted at them, "What are you doing here?" **_

_** "Gotta go!" Eileen yelled, grabbing David by his uninjured arm and pulling him along as they ran out of the Palace. **_

_** "Stop them!" Praxis ordered, "They might be going to warn the others!" **_

_** But Eileen and David continued to run until a group of guards surrounded them. "Where's your Vulcan Fury?" Eileen whispered. **_

_** "I…gave it to Paige," David remembered, "Damn it! I hope she's getting better use out of it than we are!" **_

_** Eileen whipped out an Eco Pistol and began shooting, and in that moment, all the Krimzon Guards pointed their weapons at her. Another violent struggle ensued before another gunshot rang out above all the others, and soon, Eileen was clutching her stomach as she fell to the ground. **_

_** "No!" David cried as soon as everything registered in his mind. Using his unbroken arm, he yanked his friend off the ground as she opened her eyes again, reached for her pistol, and began to feebly shoot again. **_

_** "Enough!" Erol snapped, firing his own pistol into the air to break up the struggle and pointing at the four Krimzon Guards holding Eileen and David back, "You four! Detain these two traitors again! We have some questions for them!" **_

* * *

"I wasn't always an ottsel, ya know," Daxter suddenly spoke up as we neared the forest, "I used to be taller and have the ability to wear pants!"

I widened my eyes at this. "Really?" I asked, "So how'd you…you know…become an ottsel?"

Daxter puffed his chest out and then pointed at Jak. "You can thank the big guy for that!" he said, "It was because of his snail's pace!"

Jak just rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "It was an accident," he explained to me, "The two of us snuck off to Misty Island one night when we weren't supposed to and were almost attacked by Lurkers. I accidentally pushed Dax into a pool of Dark Eco, and the rest you know."

Now _that _surprised me. Out of all the things I was expecting to hear, Dark Eco wasn't one of them. "Dark Eco?" I echoed, "I would have never thought that. But why…" I trailed off; I wanted to ask why the effects of the harmful eco had been so different for the two of them, but I didn't want to remind Jak of who he was now or what I had done.

A few minutes later, we found the younger version of Samos sitting under the large tree in the middle of the forest. He had his eyes closed as he meditated.

"Samos told me to…I mean, _you _told me to…or, well, I mean your older version, ahh…whatever. We heard you needed the life seed," Jak announced as he handed the seed over to Samos.

"Yes," he sighed, "Its power will help me speak to the plants."

_Wow, _I thought, _I wish I could speak to the plants like that. _

Suddenly, we heard voices as a few red Hellcat cruisers suddenly flew into view. "There he is!" a Krimzon Guard who was just flying into view cried into his headset.

"Roger! We're en route!" another one replied.

"I see 'em!" a third one shouted.

"Oh, _no,_" Daxter and I groaned as Samos suddenly looked worried.

"Jak, Paige, protect me from these guards!" Samos cried, clutching the Life Seed, "I must ask the plants vital questions about our future!" As the two of us whipped out our weapons, the Krimzon Guard scurried up to our level and began to shoot at us. We responded with a few bullets of our own.

"Why won't the Krimzon Guard just _die_?" I growled as both Jak and I reloaded our Vulcan Furies. Somehow, the bastards had figured out that we were delivering the Life Seed to Samos in Haven Forest, and they had arrived here to ambush us otherwise. As of now, Samos was hovering in the air as the Life Seed glowed all around him, and the guards wouldn't stop pouring in from all directions!

"Leave him alone!" Jak roared as he put away his gun and then changed into Dark Jak again. Krimzon Guards wearing jet packs flew down near us as well, and Jak used his dark powers to take care of all of them. I occasionally glanced over at Samos to make sure he was okay, and thank the Precursors he was.

"Shoot them! Shoot them!" the guards snapped. Suddenly, one of them pointed at me.

"Erol's pet is going to help the Shadow up!" he yelled, "Get her!"

"My name is Paige, you idiots!" I hissed in response, unleashing my Vulcan Fury on all of them until they were dead. Next to me, Jak was returning back to his normal self, and he reached for his weapons again.

The assaults continued for the next few minutes until the Krimzon Guard finally got the sense to retreat.

"The Life Seed gave me a terrible vision!" Samos gasped once the chaos had quieted down, "The Baron is planning to destroy the Precursor Stone! He aims to crack it open somehow! If he does this, the energy released will be beyond comprehension! It will destroy the world and more... ending all life! The plants are crying out for protection! You must stop the Baron, Jak! Stop him, however you can!"

"No pressure at all," I mumbled to myself. I guessed this was part of Jak's destiny that the Precursor had talked about. If that was his "mission", then what was mine?


	20. Training to Raise Hell

Thanks again to everyone who has been reading! We're getting closer to the end of this story, but I'm already thinking of making a story for _Jak 3_. Enjoy! :)

**DISCLAIMER- **Only my OCs are mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

* * *

"Whew!" Daxter sighed in relief once we were back in the city, "Maybe now we can get some R&R at last!"

"We don't have any missions right now," Jak told us, which I was sort of glad about as well.

"Say, Jak," I began, "Isn't the Class One race coming up soon?"

"Yeah," the blond teenager replied, "Why?"

"I was wondering if you would train me in racing," I requested, "I doubt I'll win against either you or Erol, but I at least want to race. For fun."

"You want to risk your life on the track?" Jak asked in surprise, "I don't know. People got blown up during the other two races."

"I don't think I'll blow up," I assured him, "Besides, you were the one saying to live a little bit. I want to take on Erol, too, after everything that's happened over the last two years."

Jak and Daxter both considered it and then smiled smugly. "If you insist, toots," Daxter decided, "Think you can keep up?"

"I can try," I joked, and with that, we began driving towards the Stadium section, where we would sneak onto the track to practice. Along the way, we passed by Keira's garage, and the green curtain was pulled all the way to the side, though we could see movement behind it. She was here.

Jak stopped for a second and stared forlornly at the curtain. It was clear that he was still upset over their fight from before the Class Two race. "Don't worry, buddy," Daxter whispered sympathetically, "She'll come around. She always does."

"Once she stops being hung up over Erol," Jak replied, shaking his head as we continued to walk towards the track. I sighed as I thought about Keira. I wasn't happy with the way our friendship ended, and I was hoping to make amends as well.

"Wow," I gasped as I took in the track below us, "They changed the track already?"

"Looks like it," Jak responded, climbing onto one of the Zoomers that was waiting for us. I took the other one, and we lowered down to the track. I gulped. It was one thing to watch the race from the stands, but to be right in the middle of it all…it was scary.

"Let's try one lap," Jak suggested.

"Okay," I said, "And those purple balls I see scattered on the track are turbo boosts, right?"

"You got it, toots!" Daxter chirped, "Ready? Set? Go!"

And with that, our little race began.

Damn, it was tough trying to keep up with the renegade. He was too _good_! He was definitely going to win this race. I could tell. What would Erol do if he lost to Jak again? I didn't want to know.

Meanwhile, I got used to driving on a set track as opposed to being in the middle of the streets, and the turbo boosts were awkward to use. By the time I got back to the starting line, Jak was already there. "You're good," I complimented, "You know that?"

"I can hold my own," Jak replied, grinning, "Want to go for another few rounds?"

"How about the standard five this time?" I suggested, "So that I can master turning around those sharp corners with this Zoomer?"

"You got it." And with that, we were off again for another five rounds. I hadn't driven fast like this in a while, and it made me think of my father, who was really into NASCAR racing at home. My father. What would he think if he saw me doing all these crazy things I'd been doing now?

The race became more tense as we got closer to the end. I was much closer to Jak now than I had been that first round, but he was still winning, which was to be expected. I could feel the wind blow my hair all around me, and I found myself laughing at the sensation. In front of me, Jak was laughing from his own Zoomer, so maybe he had finally completely forgiven me for everything. Hopefully, I'd proven myself by now.

When the race was over and Jak had won again, we both stopped at the starting line and high-fived each other. "Nice racing, Jak!" I complimented, "You're going to blow the Championship race right out of the water!"

"You raced pretty well, too," Jak replied, shaking my hand good-naturedly, "Let's get out of here."

We were just dismounting and walking over to the elevator in the corner when a voice stopped us in our tracks.

"Well, isn't this sweet?" it asked as we whipped our heads around. _Crap, _I thought, _Not Erol again! Can't he ever take a hint? _

"Two freaks practicing for when I beat you in the Championships," the redhead continued as he leaned his back against the wall. Oddly enough, I wasn't afraid of him anymore. He was all talk and no action, judging from the multiple times he threatened to kill me and never actually went through with it.

"What are you doing here?" Jak demanded, and I could see tiny sparks of Dark Eco crackling around him.

"We get it, Erol," I spoke up, "If you see us again, you'll kill us. Blah, blah, blah."

But Erol merely laughed. "What are you even doing here on this track, Paige?" he asked, "You don't stand a chance in the race."

"Neither do you," I muttered to myself.

"Practice all you want," Erol said to us, "But it won't make a difference in the end. See you at the race!" He began to walk away, but then turned around again.

"Oh, by the way," he said, "We've locked your friends up in the Palace. If you forfeit the race, we'll let them go."

_Friends, _I thought, _Damn it! Eileen and David! _"What the hell did you do to them?" I demanded.

"Nothing…_yet_. It was all Krew's idea to kidnap them if they tried to enter the Palace."

"Krew!" Jak growled, "He really doesn't want us to race, does he?"

"If you don't show up to the race, they'll be free. Think about it." And winking at us, he disappeared.

"Whoa!" Jak gasped, "You weren't kidding when you said he was stalking you!"

"Told you," I replied, "He just wanted to find you, is all."

"I think he likes you, toots!" Daxter piped up, "In a very creepy, twisted sort of way."

"Eww, Daxter," I groaned, playfully swatting him over the head, "That's sick! He doesn't like me. He likes controlling me."

"Good point," the ottsel said as we exited the Stadium.

"What are we going to do about Eileen and David?" Jak asked, "Are those the friends he was talking about before?"

"Yeah," I confirmed, "We have to help them!"

"If we win the race, we'll get into the Palace anyway," Jak reasoned, "We might as well give it a go."

"I just hope they're all right," I sighed as we walked off the track. Along the way out, we passed by the garage again, and for a minute, I could have sworn I saw Keira peeking out from behind her curtain and watching us.

* * *

The only people we saw when we returned to the hideout were Torn and the older Samos. "Did my younger self get the Life Seed?" Samos asked.

"Yeah, he got it," Jak reported, "The KG attacked us while we were out there, though."

"Figures they would," Torn grumbled, "How are you guys feeling?"

"Could be worse," I answered, "Samos, could you please check on my injuries and see how I'm doing? Your younger self dressed my wounds, so I figured…"

Samos moved forward to remove the bandage around my head. "Well, this looks good," he reported, touching the back of my head where the clot had been, "So does your ribcage. I'd say just leave it on for another day or so and then you should be fine."

"Thanks, Samos," I thanked him, "This has been quite an adventure. Speaking of my injuries, has anyone heard from either Kor or the Kid? The last time we saw them was outside the Tomb."

"Nothing," Torn responded, "But they're probably safe."

"I want to take the Kid under my wing," I decided firmly, "I don't know what it is about him, but I just feel like I have to protect him somehow. A lot of good I've done."

"Don't worry, Paige," Samos piped up, "The Kid may be closer than you think."

"You're starting to sound like Onin now, too," I joked, "I'll be praying to the Precursors for the Kid." But on the serious side, I had to wonder: did this version of Samos know something that I didn't? And if so, what was it?

* * *

Later on that day, I was restocking my supply of Green Eco when I suddenly heard someone knock on the door.

"Paige?"

I whirled around just as Torn entered the room I was resting in.

"Hey, Torn," I greeted, "What's going on?"

Torn shrugged in a typical Torn manner. "I just wanted to talk to you about something," he told me.

I sighed. "If it's about what happened outside the tomb-"

"It's not," the former KG Commander interrupted, holding his hand up.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh," I said, "What's it about?"

"About Kor."

_Now _he had my attention. After Kor's little speech to me back outside of Mar's Tomb, I felt on edge every time I thought about the man in the blue robe. "What's going on?" I asked.

Torn sighed and rubbed his temples, a habit I'd noticed he'd been doing a lot lately. "All right," he began, "So pretty much, Kor told me you're nothing but a conniving, underhanded liar. He claimed again that he didn't trip you in Haven Forest and not to believe anything else you said."

Suddenly, I felt myself shake in anger. So _I _was the liar now? "What the hell?" I growled, balling my hands into fists, "I know I've lied about things in the past, but why would I lie about someone making an attempt on my life?"

"That's what I thought," Torn replied, "I'm beginning to think you and Vin are right. There's something about Kor that I don't like, but I can't put my finger on it."

_So now that's Vin, Onin, and Torn all on my side, _I thought, sighing as I thought about Kor again. "He's going to try any method in order to get everyone to turn against me again," I growled, "Well, it's not going to work. Believe me that I'm telling the truth, Torn. I promised Jak and Daxter that I would stay on the good side. And I'd like to keep this between us."

Torn glanced up at me and considered me for a minute or two. Then, to my relief, he nodded.

"I believe you."

* * *

_**The next day…**_

Had it really only been almost a week since all this started? I couldn't believe it when I woke up the next morning and glanced up at Jak's bunk above me.

After showering and getting dressed, I entered the main room and sat at the table while I continued to think about David and Eileen. Why hadn't David taken his other Vulcan Fury with him? Maybe he didn't think he would be ambushed like this. _Damn you, Erol, _I cursed him in my mind. I reached for my communicator and tried to call them, getting nothing in the process. I didn't just want us to back down from the race; that would defeat the purpose of everything we were fighting for. No. Jak would never give up like that. He was a fighter.

"Morning, toots!" Dax greeted as he and Jak entered the meeting room.

"Hey, guys," I replied, "Did you sleep well?"

"Like a baby," Daxter reported, climbing up to my shoulder.

"Have you figured out what you want to do yet about Eileen and David?" Jak asked as he took a seat across from me, "We've got to help them whatever way we can."

"I think we should race," I decided, "We can't risk getting ourselves trapped in the Palace as well. I'm going to try and leave them a message today after I see Onin."

"Why do you need to see Onin?" Daxter asked.

"I just want information on some things," I half-lied, "Like how to send a message to people trapped in the Palace."

Suddenly, Jak's communicator went off. "Brutter?" he asked in surprise, "Why is he calling us now?"

"Let's go see what he wants," Daxter suggested, and the three of us left the hideout to drive over to the Bazaar. Along the way, Jak dropped me off near the ramp leading to the part of the Bazaar where Zoomers weren't allowed.

"Good luck with whatever Brutter has for you!" I shouted, waving them off as they began to drive on the no hover zone highway above us. In the meantime, I took a deep breath and approached Onin's tent, dodging the Krimzon Guard as I finally made it to the familiar square.

"Onin?" I asked as I entered the tent, "I have to ask you something." Both Pecker and Onin were all ears, though Pecker narrowed his eyes at me as he crossed his wings.

"How much do you know about the Precursors giving people missions?" I questioned, taking a deep breath.

"Onin says she can sense that you have been visited by them in your sleep," Pecker translated for the soothsayer, "She knows what your mission is, but you'll have to figure it out on your own."

I sat down in front of Onin. "Man, you all love to be cryptic, don't you?" I mumbled to myself, "Is there a hint that goes along with this or something?"

"Onin says she does not trust the man in the blue robe," Pecker interpreted, "Kor."

"Thank the Precursors you believe me about that," I sighed, "I definitely don't trust him after everything that's happened. I mean, look at this!" I pointed to all my injuries.

"Wait a minute," I whispered a second later, "You knew Kor tripped me in the forest, didn't you? Were you the one who told Jak and Daxter where I was?"

"Onin says that she gave them clues. They're the ones who figured it out themselves." I took a deep breath.

"And now my friends are trapped in the Palace," I continued, burying my face into my hands, "Is there a way I can send a message to them? Jak and I are going to race in the Class One race so that we can get into the Palace. Maybe if I race, I can also save my friends in the process."

"Onin says it will not be easy, but it is possible. You've just got to use your head!" Pecker used one of his wings to smack the top of my head.

"Ow!" I gasped, waving him away, "That hurts!"

"Go!" Pecker snapped, not translating for Onin this time, "Go send them a message!" And with that, I was out of the tent faster than Pecker could start flying towards me.

Once I was back outside and heading towards the direction of the Palace, I decided to look for Ashelin. She'd be able to deliver my message, and sure enough, I spotted her exiting the Palace, but she didn't look too happy about her current situation. "Ashelin!" I cried, waving to her. She glanced up at me, nodded curtly, and then continued to walk on.

"Wait!" I shouted, running to catch up with her.

"Sorry, Paige," she apologized, "But I can't talk right now."

"Really quick, I promise," I promised her, "I know that two of my friends are trapped inside the Palace as prisoners. Think you can pass on a message for me?" Ashelin frowned and placed a hand on her hip as I quickly wrote a note in Precursor lettering for her. Once I was finished, I handed it over to her, and she took it silently.

"Can I trust that they'll get it?" I asked in a quiet voice. Ashelin only nodded silently again as she pocketed it and continued walking away. _What's wrong with her? _I thought, _I hope she's okay._ She obviously didn't trust me for some reason. Why not?

* * *

A little while later, I received a call from Jak and Daxter telling me to meet them at the Power Station. Something about rescuing more Lurkers for Brutter and then taking out some Metal Head Eggs at the Strip Mine. I assumed they took care of those missions already, and by the time I arrived at the Power Station, I spotted Jak, Daxter, Vin…and Kor. _Oh, there you are, you bastard, _I couldn't help but think to myself, _Where's the Kid?_

"Jak! Daxter!" I cried, hugging them, "And Vin!" I shook his hand, opting to completely ignore Kor. He shot me a nasty look for a second before turning back to Jak and Daxter.

"I can't believe it!" Kor cried, "We were so close! The Baron stole the Precursor Stone right out from under us! And after all of our planning and hard work, Torn has betrayed the cause!"

"That's rich of you," I mumbled under my breath.

"Torn meant well," Jak reasoned, defending Torn, "He was protecting one of our own." I nodded in agreement.

"We must get that stone back," Kor mused.

"I'm working on it," Jak assured him.

"Yeah, we're working on it!" Daxter added.

"I've underestimated this Baron," Kor commented, "And now it appears he has taken the boy as well! Think. What will the Baron's next move be?"

"Mind telling us why you want the Precursor Stone so badly?" I piped up. From behind Kor, Vin squealed in shock, and Jak also narrowed his eyes as he folded his arms in suspicion.

But to my surprise, Kor chuckled. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said breezily, "I would never try and take it behind any of your backs." I wasn't sure about that, but Jak didn't seem too thrilled at this statement, either.

Daxter was the one to alleviate the awkwardness. "Well, if I had the Precursor Stone, with all that power, I'd use it to build a giant palace," he prattled, "A palace with the biggest harem of women the world has ever known, and there'd be a swimming pool filled to the brim with chocolate... slightly minty... yeah, yeah, a massive pool of gooey chocolate! Then the girls and I would jump in together..." Jak shook his head and smacked Daxter behind the ears.

"What?" the ottsel whined.

"I want you to go out to the Drill Platform again," Kor explained, "If you can destroy the main control tower there, it should temporarily stop the Baron's use of eco to harm us." We all turned to go when he continued speaking.

"Not you, Paige," he added, "You should probably stay here."

"Why?" I asked sharply, "So you can trip me in Haven Forest again? Not a chance."

"I told you, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Jak, you and Daxter should probably just go ahead," I sighed, "I don't want to hold you up."

"Are you sure?" Jak asked, glancing at Kor warily.

"I'm sure," I replied, gesturing to my Vulcan Fury, just in case I would have to use it on Kor. Jak seemed unsure, but nodded anyway as he jumped through the warp gate. I took a deep breath.

"You went to see Onin, didn't you?" Kor asked, and I glared at him.

"How'd you know that?" I demanded, shaking a fist at him.

"I can see it in your eyes," the older man answered.

"She told me not to trust you," I reported, folding my arms, "She doesn't trust you and neither does Vin. The rest of the Underground is getting suspicious, too."

"L-leave me out of this!" Vin snapped from his computers. I had almost forgotten he was still in the room with us.

Kor snorted. "So I've heard," he growled.

"Seriously, though," I continued, "What's your game? We heard you whispering to yourself in Mar's Tomb. What do you want with the Precursor Stone? Where's the Kid?"

"You ask a lot of questions. I still don't understand where your irrational distrust of me is coming from. You are obviously mistaken. I do not want anything with the Precursor Stone. I do not know where the Baron has the Kid."

"_Ahem,_" I began, clearing my throat, "I believe you said, 'This is the day I've long awaited. To finally hold the fabled Precursor Stone in my hands'. Tell me that isn't suspicious on your part. Jak heard you, too."

Kor widened his eyes in shock for a minute before regaining his composure. _Busted, _I thought triumphantly as I smirked. "Well," he huffed, "It's no secret that you don't like me, Paige. You probably just heard that in your mind and twisted my real words around, and then added Jak as a false witness. Didn't I tell you that you were paranoid?"

"I'm not being paranoid!" I yelled, "I know what I heard!" Vin was surreptitiously glancing back and forth between the two of us as he continued to type.

"Why does it matter to you so much?" Kor asked, hugging himself and tilting his head to the side, "Nobody will believe you anyway. You're just beating your head against the wall. Just step back for a minute and listen to yourself." He then reached up and took my face into his hands, bringing my gaze down to his eye level.

"Your heart is just as cold as Praxis's," he said in a strangely calm voice as I frowned, "You will destroy yourself if you keep this up. Stop worrying about things that you've made up, and most of all, stop worrying about the _Kid._"

In anger, I reached up and grabbed his arms, getting him to let go of me, but something about the way he said _Kid _struck a nerve. Why, I didn't know. Otherwise, I hated that he was trying to make it seem like I was losing my mind.

"This war is out of your hands, Paige," Kor whispered on his way out, "Stay out of everyone's business." And with that, he was gone, letting a cold draft into the Power Station as he exited through the door. I slumped to the floor for a minute, taking in Kor's words and then glancing up at Vin, who was staring from me to the computer.

"Oh, Vin!" I cried, getting up and launching myself into his arms, "You believe me, right? You know something's wrong with Kor, too, right?"

"P-Paige," the scientist stammered, "I…umm…"

"What else do you know about Kor? Come on, you can tell me. I won't tell anyone else."

"Oh, I-I don't know about this, but all right." And taking a seat on the floor next to me, Vin opened his mouth and began to speak.

* * *

_**I still can't believe that Eco Freak beat me the other day! **_**I thought incredulously as I returned to the race garage, where I knew Keira would be, **_**Oh, well. I still have her. **_

** But when I entered the garage and called Keira's name, she emerged from behind the curtain with a stiff expression on her face. She folded her arms together and narrowed her eyes. "What is it, Erol?" she asked, "I'm busy." **

** Taken aback by Keira's sudden bitchiness, I replied, "Jak beat me in a race the other day! Can you believe it?" **

** Keira snorted. "Good," she replied. **

** "What's wrong?" I seemed truly concerned now; Keira had never looked at me with such a rage in her eyes. She hadn't even been this angry with Paige before. **

** Keira narrowed her eyes even further, bared her teeth, and snapped, "What's **_**wrong**_**?" She reached out and slapped me across the cheek with enough force to knock me back a little bit. This was shocking. **

** "What's **_**wrong**_**?" she repeated savagely as I rubbed my stinging cheek. **

** "You **_**tortured **_**Jak in prison?" she screeched, "You used him as a lab rat and helped the Baron pump him with **_**Dark Eco**_**?" **

** I paled; she now knew it the whole truth, it seemed. But how? "Keira," I started, "I can explain…" **

** "Explain what? That you put him through **_**hell **_**for the last two years? How could you be a part of that, Erol? **_**Why**_**?" **

** "We needed a weapon to fight against the Metal Heads! Jak was our only hope." Keira sighed and continued to glare at me, and I knew this was it for whatever was going on between us. **

** "I don't believe you," she muttered darkly, "I cannot **_**believe **_**you would stoop so low! I see what Jak and Paige were trying to say now. I should have listened to them!" **

** For the first time, I was speechless, but then, I demanded, "Who told you?" **

** Keira blanched. "That's not important," she replied, "What's important is that I never want to see you again!" She turned and began to pull the curtain closed when I stopped her. **

** "If you're not going to talk to me anymore," I began, "Then at least tell me who told you everything." Keira turned around, glared at me, and drew the curtain closed without saying another word. I couldn't help but fume. Who could have told her about the Dark Warrior Program? Was it Jak? Paige? That annoying rodent on the Eco Freak's shoulder? I didn't know, but one of them was going to pay for ruining my relationship with Keira and making me doubt myself. **

** And knowing Jak, he was probably going to ignore my advice and race, anyway. Well, I'd be ready for him. Following my argument with Keira, I knew I'd have to train even harder to beat the Eco Freak. With that, I headed down to the race track, climbed onto my Zoomer, and began to drive down the track as I prepared for the Championship race.**


	21. Going for the Gold

Yay for fast updates! The Class One Race is the only mission of the whole game that gets its own chapter so far! XD Thanks again to everyone who's been reviewing! Enjoy! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **Only my OCs are mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

* * *

I was so lost in thought as I walked out of the Power Station and back to the hideout, where I would wait for Jak and Daxter. I was surprised at what Vin had told me: that the air around Kor was wrong as soon as he set foot in the city from wherever he had originally come from. I assumed it was the city he was referring to when he talked about the "killing and devouring" the Metal Heads took part in during their invasion. I shuddered at the thought. It seemed like Kor had been in Haven City for a while, but what was he possibly doing?

Oh well. At least Vin made it clear that he was on my side during all this.

By the time I got back to the hideout, I found Ashelin waiting for me. "Ashelin!" I gasped in surprise, "What's going on?"

She wordlessly handed me a piece of paper, and I realized this was the one that I had written for David and Eileen. Quickly unfolding it, I read the hasty Precursor lettering:

_Dear Paige,_

_ We're fine. No life-threatening injuries, except for the fact that Eileen got shot in the stomach during the struggle. We managed to dress the wound as much as possible with our medical supplies, but she needs to see Samos as soon as we get out of here. We say go ahead and race, since you'll be able to get into the Palace anyway. We don't want you getting caught in here with us. We're going to try and escape ourselves, as well as fight our way through the KG guarding us, to make it easier for you. Good luck. Tell Jak to knock 'em dead! _

_ -David_

"Thanks, Ashelin," I thanked her, and she was still silent as she walked out of the hideout.

_Boom! _I suddenly heard an explosion and felt a vibration, and once I got over the initial shock, I realized it was just Jak and Daxter destroying the tower at the Drill Platform. I wondered if my sisters would believe me if I told them I actually went on adventures with their favorite videogame characters.

And then it hit me: the Class One race was tomorrow! I'd have to get ready for it. I guessed I would race alongside Jak. I was nowhere near as good as him, but I just wanted to give it a try. I was tired of being on the sidelines all the time.

I kept my helmet next to my bunk as I slid under the covers to take a nap while I waited for Jak and Daxter, but somehow, I ended up falling asleep for the rest of the the day.

* * *

_**The next afternoon…**_

"The Class One race starts soon!" Jak announced as we made our way into the garages to speak with Keira beforehand. For some bizarre reason, she really wanted to see us. Well, _Jak,_ anyway.

"I know, I can't believe it," I gasped, "Are you nervous?"

"Not at all, baby!" Daxter said cheerfully. Daxter. His sense of humor had really grown on me since the start of this adventure.

"Are you racing, too?" Jak asked.

"Am I allowed to?" I replied, "I didn't race in the lower class races like you did."

"You're on our team, aren't ya?" Dax replied, "And they're always short on racers."

"But I want to make sure _you _win," I insisted, since I was getting the feeling that was what would happen in the game timeline, but I wasn't sure.

"We'll win," Jak assured me, smiling and nodding, "Trust me."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "At least you're confident about it," I commented as we finally met up with Keira and the older Samos, who was standing with her. She looked more subdued than ever as she swept her gaze over all of us. I sighed and prayed that he would be over quickly. It was getting too awkward too quickly.

"Hello, Keira," I greeted in a neutral voice.

"Hi," the mechanic replied, facing Jak and Daxter, "I'll show you guys what I've been working on if you promise not to laugh."

Daxter's face lit up. "Ooo, I love surprises!" he exclaimed, "And I love to laugh! Show me, show me!"

Keira pushed the curtains aside and announced, "I've been building a replica of our crashed Rift Rider machine from old artifacts." _So that's what she's been doing this whole time, _I realized, nodding to myself.

"That's my girl!" Samos exclaimed, beaming.

"But I'm still missing two pieces."

"Figures."

"Vin says I need an artifact called the Time Map and an old energy gem history books call the Heart of Mar. And I've looked in every book on Precursor history I can find. But the Rift Ring seems to have vanished."

Jak crossed his arms, smirked, and replied, "You did all this? I mean, _that's _useful."

"Oh, will you two stop moping around and make up already?" Daxter snapped, and I chortled in agreement.

Jak prattled on as if he hadn't spoken. "I've seen the Heart of Mar. Krew has it. We'll get those two artifacts, Keira."

Suddenly, a voice announced, "_Attention all drivers. The Class One Championship Race is about to begin._"

Jak sighed. "Well, here it goes…the race of my life." He turned to go, but Keira stopped him.

"Jak," she began tentatively, "I just wanted you to know…well…_you're _the best racer I've ever seen." _Aww, _I thought, _That's pretty cute. She seems to have finally snapped out of her Erol obsession. _

"Hey! What about me?" Daxter demanded, gesturing to himself, "I helped get us here!"

"Do you want to drive?" Jak asked.

"Against that crazy loon, Erol? No way! You've got the handle bars, brother!" Daxter quipped, "And you better keep us alive or I will never speak to you again. Obviously."

"Leave 'em in the dust, Jak!" Keira cheered as the duo turned to leave the garage.

"You coming, Paige?" Daxter asked.

I glanced at Keira again, who was staring at me and crossing her arms. "I'll be there in a minute. You guys go ahead." They ran off to claim their Zoomer.

At first, it was awkward with me, Keira, and Samos all standing around in silence, so I decided to break it once Samos was gone. "Look, Keira," I began, "I know things didn't exactly…go very well a few days ago, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you I knew Jak and Daxter. I guess I just wasn't sure what would happen if I said something."

"What did you think would happen?" Keira asked.

I shrugged. "I guess I was so worried about you finding out some unpleasant things about me," I answered truthfully, realizing that I had been a little selfish with my motives.

"I've done things I'm not proud of," I continued, "Jak knows that, and…we're working on it. But you were right in that respect. Maybe I should have said something."

Keira sighed for a minute. "Daddy told me everything," she reported, "About you, Jak, the Dark Warrior Program, and Erol. _Everything._"

I paled. She knew about my part in the DWP? "Keira," I began, but she cut me off.

"Let me finish," she interrupted, "He also said that you and Jak have been working things out because of it. I'm not going to lie, Paige. I was shocked and angry when I found out you had supplied the Dark Eco, but then my father told me it was unintentional."

"Do you forgive me, then?" I asked, "_Can _you forgive me for that? We've been friends for too long to just throw it all away in the blink of an eye."

Keira considered it for a minute. "If you and Jak beat Erol in the race today, maybe," she joked with a smirk on her face. Still, I couldn't help but feel like she wouldn't forgive me, which was fine, too.

I had to chuckle to myself. "We'll try," I assured her.

"And I'm sorry for snapping at you and Jak about Erol," Keira apologized.

"Truce?" I asked. There would be time to really talk later.

"Truce," Keira decided, shaking my hand and waving me on. Smiling, I left to go lower myself to the race track. Not all the racers were there yet, so I took my time with getting on the Zoomer, adjusting my helmet, and lowering to the track. Jak and Daxter were already down there, so when I lowered myself down, I landed on their left.

"You made it!" Daxter cried enthusiastically.

"I'm just a placeholder," I reminded them, "Like all these other guys." I gestured to the other racers that were getting ready.

"Don't worry about me," I said, "You can do this!"

"I wonder where Erol is," Jak piped up, looking around.

"Ahh, who cares about him?" Daxter quipped, waving his paws in the air, "He's probably gonna skip the race to check on David and Eileen! He's scared they're gonna run away!"

"Good point," Jak decided, chuckling a little bit.

"Things seem good between you and Keira again," I commented, smiling as Jak looked away for a minute.

"I'm just glad she's over Erol," the renegade replied, but I knew there was more to it than that.

_Vroom! Vroom! _Suddenly, a loud engine drowned out everything else, and when we all glanced over our shoulders to see Erol making his way to the starting line. "Damn," I hissed under my breath.

Erol quickly braked onto the starting line…conveniently right on the other side of Jak and Daxter. He looked over and glared at us, narrowing his eyes and smoothing back his hair.

"I want more than just to win, Eco Freak!" he snapped angrily at Jak, "I want _you_!"

_Oh…my God, _I thought to myself, using God's name for the first time in a _long _time, _Erol's serious about this._

The Commander suddenly glanced over at me, smirked, and waved. What was he thinking? "So you're racing for your jailbird friends?" he asked, "This should be interesting."

"Don't even think about it!" Daxter warned through gritted teeth, but the Commander only shrugged and focused his eyes on the track in front of us.

Suddenly, Baron Praxis hovered over the track in his large Zoomer and announced, "Greetings, racers! Today, your nerve and skill will be tested for our amusement. If any of you should by some small chance beat our grand champion, Erol, you will be awarded a month's supply of eco!" He ostentatiously gestured to a dozen barrels of eco on the side of the track.

"And a short tour of my palace to see how the other half live," he whispered rapidly, even though Jak, Daxter, and I caught every word. _Hang on, Eileen and David, _I thought, _We're coming._

"Good luck!" the Baron boomed, "And die bravely! Ready? Get set?"

Erol smiled wickedly at us as he lowered his racing mask. "Hold on tight," Jak warned Daxter, revving up the engine on his Zoomer. I gulped and began preparing my Zoomer for a turbo boost as well.

Three red lights flashed in front of us, and as the green light signaled for us to begin, Baron Praxis shouted, "Go!" We all took off in a thick cloud of dust with Erol already leaving all of us behind.

"Winning already!" I snapped at the others, "This sucks!" Jak spotted a shortcut just after the starting line and cut through there, which put the duo in first place.

"Yes!" I shouted in victory from my Zoomer as I took the long way around in my Zoomer along with the other placeholder racers.

As we all rounded the sharp corner, Jak and Daxter crashed into Erol, who knocked them into an abyss to their left and laughed. "Bye, freaks!" he taunted them as he took off. Feeling my cheeks burn, I revved up my Zoomer engine even more as I sped towards the demolition duo. They seemed to recover pretty quickly, though.

"Pick up one of those boosts!" Daxter shouted, and as the Zoomer passed through the purple circle ahead of them, they picked up the boost. They continued to drive until they reached a sharp turn. Jak quickly slowed down, turned, and then used the boost to accelerate. Daxter screamed and squeezed Jak's shoulder even tighter as they sped through the track and up the next shortcut. He glanced over her shoulder and smirked when he saw the shock on Erol's face that they had managed to get in front of him, and from where I was watching the entire thing, I smirked as well.

"See ya!" Daxter called to him. Jak grinned as they crossed the starting line and began their second lap. I was still on my first, and one of the other racers repeatedly tried to rear-end me, and I fumbled before knocking him out of the way and continuing on with my business. Erol crossed the starting line, and I followed suit.

Unfortunately, Erol quickly learned about Jak and Daxter's shortcuts. "Whoa!" Jak gasped as he nearly crashed into the wall to his side. Erol chuckled from his Zoomer as he repeatedly crashed into the back of Jak's Zoomer.

"Hey!" I shouted, speeding up and rear-ending Erol. He glanced over his shoulder at me and narrowed his eyes as I approached him on his right.

"Out of my way!" he shouted, bumping into me and sending me flying dangerously close to the ceiling. For a second, I felt dizzy as I spun around.

"You're lucky I was wearing my helmet, asshole!" I snapped, shaking a fist at him as he just laughed to himself. Huffing, I righted my Zoomer and took off after them to keep my eye on Jak and Daxter.

* * *

_**Middle of the third lap…**_

_"Hold on, Dax!" I shouted to my friend as he clung to my shoulder for dear life. The wind whipped my hair behind me as I increased my speed after picking up another turbo boost. I was still in first place, and Daxter kept a lookout for Erol. I had seen him try to push Paige off the track a few times, but she recovered pretty quickly. As long as he didn't try the same thing on us again. _

_ "Move over!" Erol snapped as he bumped into us from the side. _

_ "Hey!" Daxter shouted, "Watch where you're driving!" Erol smirked as he moved into first place. _

_ "No!" I cried, using another turbo boost to speed in front of him. _

_ "Right on!" I said to Daxter as we rounded the corner and used the second shortcut right by the starting line. _

_ Once the fourth lap began, I heard another voice. "Jak! Daxter!" _

_ "Paige!" Daxter yelled as she rounded the corner, having chosen not to take the shortcut, "How are you holding up?" _

_ "Erol tried to knock me off track a few times," Paige sighed, "But I'm still hanging in there." _

_ "We're winning!" I cried to her over the wind as I put on a burst of speed. She smiled and gave us a thumbs-up. _

_ "Not this time!" Erol suddenly piped up from behind us, knocking into Paige again to try and reach us. _

_ "I told you you wouldn't stand a chance, Paige!" he taunted her, "Don't stand in my way." He pushed her into one of the lower levels and was soon flying right next to us. _

_ "Stop cheating, ya loon!" Daxter hissed from my shoulder. From behind us, other racers were exploding as they crashed into the walls around us. Thank the Precursors that wasn't happening to me or Paige. _

_ As we rounded another sharp corner, I bumped into Erol's Zoomer, sending him flying a little bit. "Oh yeah!" Daxter cheered, "Not he's hurting!" _

_ Laughing to myself, I steered the Zoomer as we crossed the starting line for the fifth and final lap. "Last lap!" I cried to Dax and Paige as I saw Paige fly behind us close to Erol again. _

* * *

_**Fifth and final lap…**_

** "Last lap!" I heard Jak shout as he crossed the starting line. This was it. I had to beat him right now, or else I would lose my title. I **_**wouldn't **_**let that happen. **

** Up ahead, the Eco Freak turned by the shortcut, so I followed him while Paige followed me. Nothing was going to get in the way of me and my title. Picking up some speed, I rear-ended Jak. "Learn to drive!" that rodent-Daxter, was it?-snapped at me. **

** "Learn to listen to me!" I shouted in response. **

** "Stop obsessing over Keira and Paige!" **

** Now he was going too far. With that, I smashed into the Zoomer, sending them flying a little bit. "Bye bye!" I taunted, flying around them and reclaiming first place. This race was in the bag now. **

** After some more flying through the track, I could see the finishing line up ahead. This race was mine now. The Eco Freak was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Paige. I was going to win, and they were going to be…dealt with accordingly. **

** Suddenly, a voice began to shout out of nowhere. "See ya!" Jak cried as he appeared out of nowhere and sped past me, crossing the finishing line right before my eyes as I braked in a mere second place. The crowd was roaring from the bleachers above us, and I just stayed put where I was for a minute. I was in shock. I…had just lost my title for good. Jak was the new grand champion now. This wasn't happening. I had lost to the Eco Freak. **_**Again.**_

** "Pretty close race, Erol," I heard Paige taunt as she finished in third place right behind me, "But not close enough. Looks like you're not the best anymore. Too bad." **

** "You bitch," I hissed at her as she smiled and flew away. Well, she was right about one thing: it looked like the Paige from two years ago was really gone for good. **

** I continued to listen to the crowd all around me, and I wanted them to shut up. They weren't cheering for me. Not even close. **_**Jak, **_**I thought angrily, deciding to take another drive around the track. He was really going to get it now! **

* * *

"We did it!" I heard Daxter shout as Jak took the pass into the Palace into his hands and waved at the crowd. Behind them, the month's supply of eco was lowered onto the track.

"Jak! Daxter!" I cried as I ran over to them, "You won! That was badass!"

"Thank you!" Daxter thanked me and the crowd as he bowed, "Thank you very much! Ahh, I love my public!"

"Great work, guys," I complimented them again as we began to leave the track. I glanced around for a minute. Where had Erol gone off to? Maybe what I said to him was unnecessary, but I brushed it off anyway.

"Ahh, a brave man of the people," Praxis began as Daxter grew wise to the Baron's presence and jumped down from Jak's shoulder, "And who is this worthy opponent? In my world, good men are either bought or broken! So, which is it going to be?" _Did you forget your description of Jak, Praxis? _I thought scathingly to myself as I realized this was the first time I was coming face to face with the Baron since being "kidnapped" by the Underground.

"Surprise!" Jak said as he turned around to face Praxis, who looked none too pleased.

"_What?_" he growled as I smirked to myself.

"Just a little closer," Jak replied, gesturing with his finger, "We need to talk."

"You're done this time, Praxis!" I snapped as well.

"Fools!" Praxis boomed, "Don't you get it? It's over, Jak! All the heroes died long ago! Only survival remains by whatever means!" He slammed his fist as Jak, Daxter, and I all scowled at each other.

"This city is mine," Praxis continued, "These lives are mine! This _war _is mine! And in war, people die! Kill them!" The Krimzon Guards surrounding him all pointed their pistols at us.

"This is wrong!" I yelled in response, "_You're _wrong!"

"Shut up, traitor!" Praxis ordered, "You're no better than Jak! And you shall be dealt with accordingly."

"Look out!" one of the guards suddenly shouted out of nowhere, and we all whirled around to greet a horrifying sight: Erol speeding down the track right towards us! His face was red with fury, and he was fixated on us the whole time. No, _Jak_!

"Precursors!" I gasped, "Watch out!"

"I win, Jak!" Erol declared as he got closer with the Zoomer. If Jak didn't do something soon, he was going to get run down! Praxis was already calmly moving out of the way, and at the last minute, I felt Jak grab me by the arm and lift me up as he jumped into the air. Down below, Erol was still speeding, and the only thing in his way was the month's supply of eco! _Shit, shit, shit! _I thought to myself, _This is not gonna end well._

_Boom! _Before he could slow down or swerve out of the way, Erol crashed into the barrels, igniting an explosion of purple and black smoke, which made everyone realize it was a month's supply of eco, which looked like Dark Eco from the explosion. The crowd in the bleachers roared, just like Erol had said they would, only it wasn't for Jak's demise. The Commander's racing mask flew off of his head and landed on the side of the track. But the worst part of watching it all was his scream. Oh, Precursors, the screaming was awful!

From where we stood, I screamed as I watched Erol disappear into the purple and black smoke right in front of my eyes, and I saw his racing mask fly helplessly to the side. Repeating images of him driving into the barrels of Dark Eco played themselves over and over again in my mind, and I had to cover my eyes and look away, even though the damage was done. At first, Jak, Daxter, and I couldn't move due to our shock at what we had just witnessed, but as the Baron turned his angry gaze back to us, Jak snapped out of it, grabbed my hand, and shouted, "Come on! We've got to go!" Daxter and I ran after our friend.

"After them!" Baron Praxis commanded from behind us, and soon, we found ourselves running away from a swarm of guards.


	22. Hell in a Handbasket

Hooray! Next chapter is finally up! From the looks of it, there might be about 2 to 3 chapters left before the end! Once again, a big thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **Only my OCs are mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

* * *

"This day couldn't get any worse," Daxter grumbled as he, Jak, and I hid in an alleyway close to the Stadium. The entire Krimzon Guard was after us after the Class One Race, and we were forced to hide until the alarms died down.

"At least we still have the pass," Jak piped up, holding up the purple security pass, "Man, I can't believe what just happened!"

"Yeah, me neither," I whispered as more Krimzon Guards in yellow ran past our hiding spot, "_Erol fucking blew up!_" I sighed and strangely felt guilty for a minute. The last thing I had said to him was bitchy, and then minutes later…he was dead. I shook my head, wondering if I was partially responsible for making him snap like that.

"Don't feel bad for him, Paige," Jak scolded gently, "He got what he deserved. I know you think you're partially responsible, but don't." I sighed again.

"Come on, toots," Daxter also whispered, "The big guy's right, ya know. Erol caused us a lot of grief."

"I know," I agreed, "You guys are right. He shouldn't have taken losing so hard. I just don't want to feel guilty about someone that gave me a rough time."

"You won't," Jak assured me, "He took advantage of you for two years. He helped pump me full of Dark Eco, and he tried to kill us."

I felt a weight lift off my shoulders at those words. "You're right," I repeated, "He's gone now. He can't stalk us anymore."

"Let's get to the Palace," Daxter suggested, and we looked around before taking off down the street as fast as possible. A foul smell was in the air, and I realized it was Dark Eco that was still spewing from the Stadium section after Erol's incident. I had to look away from all that.

En route to the Palace, however, we found ourselves being ambushed…again. "Run!" I cried, and covering our heads, we ducked into the Palace, where everything went silent as the door shut behind us.

"Well, you two deserve a gold medal," some familiar voices began as we turned around to see Eileen and David standing by the elevator.

"Nice getaway," David complimented.

"David! Eileen!" I cried in happiness, running towards them and hugging both of them tightly, "Thank the Precursors you're okay! How'd you get out?"

"Most of the KG was busy watching the Class One race," Eileen explained, "And that's when we slipped around them. Our chance really came when Erol blew up!" They sighed.

"I can't believe that happened," David whispered, "I didn't think Erol would ever do something that crazy!" We all just fell silent and shook our heads.

"Well, we're going to explore the Palace a little bit," Jak announced, "We're glad you two are okay. Get to Samos right away, though." He pointed to Eileen's Green Eco-bandaged stomach.

"Will do, Jak," Eileen said, "Good luck! We'll be at the Hip Hog once we find Samos!" And with that, the two of them were out the door we had entered from.

It just occurred to me now that I had never been inside the Palace before. Oh, well. There was always a first time for everything. "Whoa!" I gasped as we stepped on the elevator and shot up a few floors. I wasn't expecting the rapid movement. Jak and Daxter chuckled at my reaction.

"You'll get used to it," Jak assured me, and I took some deep breaths to calm myself down.

Next, we entered the throne room. "Wow," I whispered to myself, "So the big boys of Haven City have their meetings in here."

"And women!" another familiar voice snapped, and suddenly, out of nowhere, Ashelin sprinted out from behind one of the pillars and pointed her Eco Pistol at us.

"I shouldn't have trusted you!" she shouted. So _that _was why she was giving me the cold shoulder!

"Back where we started, huh?" Jak tried to joke, but the Baron's daughter wasn't having it.

"Come on, Ashelin," I pleaded, but she cut us off.

"Don't play with me!" she growled, "All along you've been trying to undermine our war with the Metal Heads! Whose side are you on?" She pressed her pistol into Jak's chest.

"Listen, Ashelin," the renegade replied, "Your father's planning something terrible, and if-"

"My father can destroy the Metal Head armies once and for all!"

"If he cracks open the Precursor Stone, the explosion will kill all of us! Don't you get it?" Ashelin didn't reply, but she just glared at us, not believing anything Jak was telling her.

"That's right!" Daxter added, "Not so hard, huh? Even I can figure this one out!"

"Daxter…" I grumbled, face-palming myself.

"Don't you move!" Ashelin snapped, pointing her Eco pistol at all of us again, "Vin? Come in!"

"_What? What?_" Vin shrieked from his end, "_I've got my hands full here, ya know!_"

"You know all about the Precursor Stone myth, right?" Ashelin asked, shooting me a death stare when I tried to move closer to her.

"_Sure, I did my Econecic Energy Doctorate on Precurian Theoretical Physics. Why?_"

"What would happen if the Precursor Stone were to be... say... violently cracked open?"

This seemed to upset Vin, but then again, what didn't? "_Great! As if I didn't have enough to keep me awake at night, you need one more thing to dread! Thank you very much! If someone actually had the Stone, according to my calculations, a runaway eco surge from cracking it open would... theoretically destroy... EVERYTHING!_"

_Now _Ashelin seemed shocked. "Everything?" she echoed worriedly.

"_All things! Every single thing! Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna go throw up. Bye bye._" He hung up.

"Ashelin," I started, but didn't finish. What could I say?

"Trust me, Ashelin," Jak said instead, "We have to stop him."

The Baron's daughter seemed to consider this, and she turned around to face us again. "I'll try to find out more," she decided, "But right now, my father's meeting Krew at the secret Weapons Factory near the Dig. Here." She pressed a black security pass into Jak's hands.

"That's my top level security pass," she explained, "It'll get you in, but it won't get you back out. We never had this conversation."

Too bad. I was about to say something, too, but Ashelin disappeared through the main doors.

* * *

_**A little while later…**_

"Well, that was nerve-wracking!" I gasped once we were finally out of the Palace and on our way to the Weapons Factory, which was the craziest factory I'd ever seen. Krimzon Guards and KG robots were everywhere as we fought our way through them.

"Can't these guys give us a break?" Daxter whined.

"Not after Erol's little mishap," I replied, "There's no Commander to control them anymore."

"Is that good or bad?" Jak asked as he reloaded his Blaster Gun.

"Depends," I said, shrugging, "I still can't wrap my head around his death."

"You and the big guy are free now!" Daxter shouted.

"Very true," I conceded, "I just hope things will start to look up soon."

Once we were finished infiltrating the Weapons Factory, we took an elevator up to the top floor, where daylight was starting to break through…and also where Krew was waiting for us. "Not exactly what I had in mind…" I mumbled as Jak and Daxter tried not to laugh.

As soon as Krew spotted us, we wiped the grins off our faces. Mr. Hover Chair was no better than all the rest of them. "I knew you were special when I first met you, Jak," he began, "And I commend you for making it this far. And you, Paige. You're not the girl I first met two years ago anymore. We've come a long way, eh?"

"Yeah," Jak replied sarcastically, "We're getting real teary-eyed."

"Group hugs!" I added in an equally sarcastic tone, "Yeah, right."

"I love weapons," Krew told us, "I love how they look, how they feel, even how they smell." He grinned, and Jak, Daxter, and I all glanced at each other and tried not to roll our eyes.

"I think you need serious help," Jak said in response.

"My favorite was the impossibly powerful weapon Mar built to blast open the Metal Head nest," Krew continued as if he hadn't heard us at all, "Poor fool died before he could use it, ahh well. But I have a new favorite. The Piercer Bomb I've just completed. My masterpiece is powerful enough to crack open the Precursor Stone, and release the untold energy inside! As soon as the Baron shows up with the Stone, we'll hide it in the last shipment of Eco and deliver it to the Metal Head nest. A surprise dessert, eh? Hee hee hmmm... Just take this gun upgrade and forget what you saw here." He handed a Scatter Gun upgrade to Jak, who took it as usual, but he didn't move.

"Not this time, Krew!" Jak snapped, "I'm through being your hired gun!"

Krew seethed and then faced me. "What about you, eh?" he growled.

"No way," I said, "I'm done taking orders from the villains, too."

"Then it's war, isn't it?" Krew roared, hovering into the air as Jak and I shared another glance. _Boss battle! _I couldn't help but think to myself.

We watched as Krew flew off to the side, and something green suddenly appeared next to us. "Let me introduce you to my…_crew_," he announced, feeling pleased with himself over his little pun. When we looked closer, we noticed these were Krew clones.

"Could he get anymore narcissistic?" I asked the others as Jak and I whipped out our Scatter Guns and began taking on all the Krew clones around us.

"As if there wasn't enough Krew to go around," Daxter commented as well, making me chuckle and nearly lose my aim on one of the clones.

These little bastards were so annoying, though; they _never stopped attacking_! It took a while to get through the first batch before Krew decided to try and finish us off himself.

"Now I have you," he snarled, flying close to us and shooting at us from his hover chair.

"Holy shit!" I gasped, quickly rolling out of the way as Jak took out his Peacemaker and began shooting at the Hip Hog owner.

"Ooh!" he gasped as well as he backed up to recover.

"Take that, Krew!" I shouted in victory.

"You all got Erol killed, mmm?" the obese man replied as we continued to deliver more damage to him.

"No," Jak seethed, "Erol killed himself. You shouldn't have bet against us on the race."

"Oooo!" Krew growled, backing off and sending another wave of his clones at us, which were much more aggressive than the first time around. We managed to get rid of all of them fairly quickly before Krew returned to attack us again. He was a strong fighter, despite the fact that he was clearly down on his last leg. He never gave up, however, and after what seemed like forever, he finally went down, coughing and wheezing as he remained where he was. Holding our guns out, we slowly approached him to finish the job.

"Is it too late to give my notice?" Jak asked.

"Yeah!" Daxter added, "We quit!"

"No more butting heads with you, Krew," I quipped as well.

But what Krew said next surprised us. "The city is already dead," he wheezed, "I've sold you all out! Ha ha ha ha ha!" He then coughed.

"_What the fuck?_" I roared, "You _idiot_!" After that, I jammed my Eco Pistol into his temple.

"Who did you sell us out to?" I demanded, "Tell us now! Before I blow your fucking head off!"

"Whoa, Paige!" Jak gasped, but I paid him no mind.

"You should know already," Krew replied in a low voice, and then, we suddenly heard something click.

"Ahh, Jak! Paige!" Daxter cried, "I think we should be anywhere else just about now!"

And that was when we spotted a Hellcat cruiser to our left. "Ashelin!" Jak exclaimed.

"We're out of here!" Ashelin shouted over the din, "Come on, Paige!" I glared at Krew one last time and followed the others onto the cruiser. Just before the big explosion, I heard Krew utter one last sentence.

"Oh, well."

* * *

"That was a close one," I sighed as we returned to the Port. Ashelin quickly parked before letting us out.

"You guys find my father," she ordered, "I'll take the Heart of Mar to Keira for you. I'm sorry it's come to this." Before we could reply, she was already gone.

"Let's see what's happening at the Hip Hog," Jak suggested, "Didn't Eileen and David say they were going there? I hope they got to Samos."

"Tess is there, too!" Daxter said as well. I just nodded, and we quickly ran to the Saloon. What was going to happen to it now that Krew was gone?

"Hello?" Jak called as we entered the empty Saloon, "Anyone here?"

"Hey!" David and Eileen both greeted as they got up from their booth to face us. I noticed that Eileen looked much better, so they must have reached Samos.

"Hey, guys," Tess also greeted from next to the whack-a-mole game, "Whatever Krew put in that machine, he looked really nervous."

"Whatever it is, Krew won't be needing it anymore," Dax reported to her, "He's, shall we say, not all together these days."

"You guys killed Krew?" David asked in surprise. I just nodded.

"We ran into him at the Weapons Factory," I answered.

Daxter, however, was grinning from ear to ear. "Step aside, you two!" he said, "Let the game player do his stuff!"

"You're such an animal," Tess teased, grinning as the ottsel flexed his fingers and approached the game.

"This should be a sight to see," Eileen whispered to us, and we fell silent as we watched Daxter whack every Metal Head (except for the ones that were red) that popped out of the machine. I had to admit he was pretty good at this. Finally, another moment for Daxter to shine!

Once he cleared the game, a round, orange artifact floated out of the machine. "The Time Map!" Daxter realized.

"Time Map?" David and Eileen echoed in confusion.

"Keira needs it for a Rift Rider she built," Jak explained to them quickly, but they were still confused, "We'll explain later."

Tess reached for the Time Map when Daxter continued. "You know, sugar plum, if any REAL Metal Heads came into town, I'd bonk 'em just like I did in the game!"

Perhaps he had spoken too soon, for suddenly, a few Metal Heads crept into the Saloon and were converging on an unsuspecting Daxter. "Oh, no," David mumbled under his breath. I was too shocked to say anything.

"Daxter?" Tess began cautiously, but the ottsel continued to ramble.

"They'd be all 'Don't hurt me please!' and I'd be all 'Too late, Metal Monkeys!' 'You die screaming!' Hee, hee. Know what I'm saying?"

"Um," Jak mumbled, raising his Blaster Gun into the air as Eileen, David, and I all lifted our Eco Pistols as well. Finally, Daxter turned around.

"You guys!" he stammered, "I think these trophies are still walking!"

"Fire!" Jak shouted, and we all opened fire on the Metal Heads trying to attack the ottsel. Metal Heads? In Haven City? This had to be Krew's doing. "I've sold you all out!" he had said at the Weapons Factory.

"M-M-Metal Heads!" Daxter whimpered once they were gone, "Metal Heads! Where's Sig when you need him?"

"Sig?" Tess echoed, "I think Krew sent him on one last mission. Something about using Mar's Ruby Key to open a secret door in the Underport?"

"Of course!" Jak shouted as if he was thinking the same thing I was, "Come on! We need to get to the Underport right now!"

"I'll take the Time Map to Keira!" Tess decided, picking up the Time Map once again.

"I'll go with you," Eileen said to her, gesturing to herself.

"Be careful angel cheeks, and your hero will return shortly!" Daxter advised, bowing to his crush as we all exited the Hip Hog.

We all stopped and gasped as soon as we stepped outside; the streets were in chaos. Metal Heads were everywhere, shooting innocent bystanders while the Krimzon Guard tried neutralizing them. We all ducked and covered our heads as gunshots rang rampant through the city. "Ahh!" Daxter screamed as he missed getting shot.

"Shit," I whispered, "Krew really screwed us over this time." We ducked and avoided a few more bullets.

"We've got to get to the Underport!" Jak cried, "And fast!"

Before any of us could move, we suddenly received a broken transmission, which sounded like Vin. However, we instantly realized something was wrong; his voice was much weaker. "_The shield wall is down!_" he announced frantically, "_I repeat, the shield wall is down! Sabotaged! Kor did it! I knew that Metal Heads would be the end of me... oh no! Metal Heads at the door! They're breaking through! There's so many of them! Jak! Paige! Aaaarrgh!_" The transmission cut off there.

At first, none of us knew what to say, but I was the one to break the silence. "I _knew _it!" I declared, "I _knew _it was that son of a bitch, Kor!"

"I figured as much," Jak agreed, "From the way everyone was getting suspicious of him. But why would he do this?"

"I don't know," I replied, "But I'm going to find Vin!"

"You're gonna go by yourself?" Daxter asked, "Have you checked the streets?"

"I'll go with you," David volunteered, "And Eileen can go with Tess, like she said."

We all took a deep breath. "Good luck everyone," Tess said to the group, and after hugging briefly, we all went our separate ways, Tess and Eileen heading to the Stadium, Jak and Daxter going to the Underport, and me and David traveling to the Power Station. We snagged a Zoomer by the Gun Course and began driving at the high hover zone to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

"I hope Vin's okay," I said to David, "Kor's going to answer for all this. Big time!"

"I've got Green Eco so that we can help him," the ex-KG said to me. I nodded and continued to drive, seeing as how David was in no condition to operate a Zoomer.

Metal Heads shot at us, and at one point, our Zoomer exploded and sent us crashing to the ground. Fortunately, we were at the Power Station by now, so we ran the rest of the way, dodging more stray bullets and nimbly running out of the way of the Krimzon Guards that were trying to take down the Metal Heads. Feeling enraged, David and I whipped out our pistols and began shooting at some of the Metal Heads. We continued to run and shoot just as we spotted the ramp leading up to the Power Station. "Out of the way!" David screamed at the frightened pedestrians as we continued to sprint. We noticed a swarm of Metal Heads emerging from the Power Station, which only made us put on a burst of speed. _Please be okay, Vin, _I thought as we ran like we were in a marathon.

Once we were finally outside the doors to the Power Station, we kicked them down just as we noticed a swarm of Metal Heads hovering over Vin. "Get away from him!" I snapped, and the two of us opened fire on these creatures as well, who stopped targeting the scientist and chose to go after us instead. I still wasn't a great shot, but better than I was at the start of this mission. Next to me, David used his good arm to aim and shoot. Once all the Metal Heads were vanquished, we put our weapons away and darted over to Vin.

"Vin!" we cried, shaking him, "Vin, can you hear us? Wake up!"

After a few minutes of shaking him, the scientist tossed and turned before opening his eyes. "P-Paige," he choked.

"Vin!" I cried, hugging him, "Thank the Precursors! What did Kor do to you? You can tell us." David nodded anxiously.

"H-he went after me first," Vin croaked feebly, "He's always had it in for me, you know? I never trusted him. I-I told you all about that, Paige. Looks like he finally got me. H-he said…he's going after everyone who's against him."

"Oh, Precursors," I hissed under my breath, "Does this mean I'm next? And then Jak?"

"B-be careful," Vin warned, "Both of you." And with that, he fainted again.

"No!" David snapped, reaching for some Green Eco, "You're not going to faint on us! Just hold on! We'll stay here for as long as we have to!"

Meanwhile, I was lost in thought as I considered Vin's warning about Kor going after me next. I gulped as I realized that Kor wasn't Erol, who hadn't actually fulfilled his threats. Kor, on the other hand, would be more than willing to follow through with his veiled threats, so I had to take him seriously. David and I continued to sit where we were as Vin woke up every now and then, as if to pass on a message to someone.

* * *

_Going through the Underport hadn't been easy. _

_ After using the Titan Suit to get through the underwater parts, Dax and I had run into Sig while he was fighting off some Metal Heads. _

_ "Hey, there, tough guy!" I had greeted, waving, and with that, Sig had whirled around and fired at us, causing us to duck behind a rock. _

_ "Get your skinny ass over here and start shooting!" he snapped. Daxter gulped, and the two of us picked ourselves up again and joined our friend. _

_ "Man, was I set up!" Sig growled, "Krew sent me down here to open some old doors with that Ruby Key you found, and when I did, Metal Heads came streaming in from some passage outside the city walls... Just like they were waiting for me! There's one!" He shot at a Metal Head that had been trying to surprise us. _

_ "Krew's dead," I reported, and Sig scoffed. _

_ "Yeah? Well he's lucky! Because he would not want me to catch him alive!" He shot at some more Metal Heads as he said all this. _

_ "The Metal Heads must have promised Krew plenty for him to betray the whole city like this," Dax whispered to me, and I couldn't agree more with him. Krew was always hungry for something, whether it be money or power. _

_ "Let's get out of here," I replied. _

_ That had all been when we first met up with Sig. _

_ As of now, we were outrunning a rather large Metal Head that was chasing us. We had already outrun the bastard once, and now he was back for more, I guess. "Go, go, go!" Sig cried, waving us on with his Peacemaker. _

_ We finally arrived close to the exit of the Underport when I turned around and waved to Sig. "Let's go!" I cried, "We're almost to the elevator!" _

_ Sig stopped in the middle of the bridge for a minute to catch his breath. "Looks like we finally lost 'em, chili peppers!" he declared, "Piece of cake, huh? Now you boys are real Wastelanders! I say it's time we take this fight to the Metal Head leader himself! What a trophy he'd make! We find a way to juice up Mar's ol' gun, and then boom baby, we storm the nest, guns blazing! Hell! We'll take 'em all on, together! You and me! Side by side! Nothin'll stop us 'cause we're-"_

_Crash! Suddenly, the Metal Head we had been running away from crashed through the ceiling, breaking the bridge in half and taking Sig with it. "Sig!" Dax and I both gasped as we sighed and looked away for a minute. _

_ "So…uhh…what's Plan B?" Dax asked quietly. _

_ "I don't know," I replied, "I can't believe Sig is…" I sighed again. _

_ "Sig's a tough guy," Dax told me, "Ya never know with him." _

_ "I don't know," I repeated, and with that, we made our way back to the elevator and Haven City just as Keira contacted us and asked us to meet her at the Stadium. Keira. I was glad we had made up before all this happened. She seemed to accept that…other part of me. At least we knew Eileen, Tess, and Ashelin had managed to get the Time Map and the Heart of Mar to her, respectively. I also wondered if Paige and David had managed to catch Vin yet. We hadn't heard from them in a while. _

_ "The Rift Rider's finished!" Keira announced once we reunited with her outside the Stadium, "But if my father's right, and the Ring is somewhere in the Metal Head nest, how are we going to get the Rift Rider to use it?" _

_ We suddenly heard the sound of motors on a balloon, and when we looked up, we saw Brutter lowering himself to our level. "I think we've got an answer," I announced, pointing at the Lurker. _

_ "LOOK!" he cried, "Brutter just knew friends would need help if Metal Headers attack!" _

_ "Brutter!" Daxter yelled, "You're the man!" _

_ "Lurker balloons are finest lifters in the world, but they is easy target!" _

_ "Right," I sighed, "You guys get the Rift Rider to the nest. I'll stay and defend your take-off and get away." _

_ "Once again, being your friend sucks!" Daxter spat, "I wanna go on the balloon!" _

_ "You keep stadium safe while we prep balloon for lift away," Brutter retorted, "Uh-oh! Here they come! Metal Headers!" _

_ And with that, both versions of Samos lifted up one side of the Rift Rider and began to carry it towards the balloon while I took out my Vulcan Fury and protected them. Metal Heads appeared from all directions, and it was hard to keep my eye on all of them. While I did this, I walked over to the Samos I had grown up with in Sandover. _

_ "Vin said Kor did all this," I told him as I shot a few more Metal Head scorpions. _

_ "Just as we all suspected," his younger version replied instead, "Looks like we were right. We shouldn't have trusted him." _

_ "Has anyone managed to find him?" Samos asked as we got closer to the Lurker balloon. _

_ "Nope!" Daxter piped up, "He's MIA!" _

_ After a little more of defending the two Samoses against the Metal Heads, we finally arrived at the balloon and lifted the Rift Rider onto it. Keira took my hand as I helped her up, and then the Samos twins followed suit. "Up, up, and away!" Brutter shouted as they began the liftoff. _

_ "Must be nice floating away while we die down here!" Daxter snapped in response. _

_ "We'll meet near the nest!" Keira relayed to us, "We'll see you soon! Be careful!" _

_ "Yeah, Jak, be careful!" Daxter repeated. _

_ "We'll be careful!" I assured her, waving as all of them continued to float away into the air. I sighed as I watched them go, and that was when I received another broken transmission. _

_ "Jak…" Vin choked from his end, "Kor…Construction…Site…" _

_ Dax and I both exhaled at this when we received another message from Paige. _

_ "_Jak, Daxter!_" she cried, "_Are you two okay?_" _

_ "We're fine," I assured her, "But Sig…" I didn't finish. _

_ "_I'm sorry, Jak_," she apologized, "_First him, and now Vin…_" She trailed off. _

_ "We're going to the Construction Site now," I told her, "See you there?" _

_ "_Yeah_," she replied, "_See you there_." She hung up, and we began to go there ourselves, wondering what would be in store for us. _

* * *

Once it seemed like some of the chaos died down, I decided to leave the Power Station to go to the Construction Site. After David and I silently mourned Vin for a little bit, David decided to go warn the rest of the Underground about Kor's treachery. At least, those who didn't already know about it.

"Paige!" Daxter yelled over the noise, and I spotted them waiting for me outside the door leading to the Construction Site. I was so happy to see them that I ran and threw myself into Jak's arms.

"Thank the Precursors you two are okay!" I said, sobbing a little bit, "I'm so sorry about Sig." The two of them sighed sadly for a minute.

"Sig was a good man," Jak replied, "Let's go. I wonder what Kor's doing here."

"I don't want to know," I told him harshly."

Even Dax couldn't think of anything to say as we entered the Construction Site. At this point, it began to rain as we entered the vast opening. To our surprise, Baron Praxis was here as well, along with a squadron of other Krimzon Guards. "Look!" I whispered, "Praxis is here!"

Before we could think about it anymore, a flash of blue caught our attention as Kor leaped down to the ground from somewhere above us. "Kor!" Jak gasped, "What's going on?"

Kor turned to face us, and suddenly, his face didn't seem quite so friendly anymore. "Jak?" I began cautiously as Kor appeared much more menacing than the few times he had tried to bully me.

"I'm sure you know," Kor replied casually as he began to advance towards us. Out of instinct, I began to slowly back away from the older man as the demolition duo did the same.

"Deep down in your darkest…_nightmares,_" he continued in a low voice, revealing dark, blue eyes and fangs we had never seen before and increasing my heart rate, "We've met before, remember? Everything's going exactly as planned!" Next to me, Jak's eyes widened in horror, and Kor stopped advancing as he smirked, turned his back to all of us, and tossed his walking stick aside.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" he laughed as he moved to the center of the site and suddenly did something that none of us would ever forget. We watched as he sprouted wings from his back and hovered into the air. He suddenly grew in size, his skin turned brown, and he sprouted horns from his head. When he turned to face all of us, we gasped at what he had become; his face was covered with yellow markings, his jaw dropped a little bit, always revealing his sharp teeth, and his eyes were pale. He grinned wickedly.

"OH MY GOD!" I screamed, covering my mouth in embarrassment two seconds later after realizing the mistake I had made. A couple of the Krimzon Guards gave me funny looks similar to when Keira had been confused over the Bible reference.

"Jak, Paige!" Daxter shrieked, "It's the Metal Head Leader!"

"_No fucking way_!" I cursed, raising my Vulcan Fury up as Kor ripped his clothes apart and completed the transformation. He crashed down to the ground again and sent out a shockwave in the process. He continued to grin as he glanced around at all of us. _So that's why everyone felt there was something wrong with him, _I thought as I took in Kor in his true form. Out of all the things I had suspected about him, being a Metal Head wasn't one of them. _All those missions that were unauthorized by the Underground, _I continued to think to myself, _They were Kor's own means of sabotage! Oh, CRAP!_

"Now you see!" Kor boomed, "Without the shield wall disrupting my powers within the city, I am my full potential now! So for the last time, give me the Precursor Stone!" He leaned in close to the Baron's face as he said this.

Praxis scowled and raised his Eco Sword. "If the city must die," he declared, "Then we all die! AHHHH!" With a loud battle cry, he charged towards Kor, but Kor blasted him and his guards, which sent them flying back as well. Kor flew into the air and looked down at us.

"I will find that Stone if I have to crush this city one brick at a time!" he declared.

"Bastard!" I hissed at him, opening fire with the Vulcan Fury, which I regretted a few seconds later.

"Paige!" Jak and Daxter shouted at me as Kor turned towards me and shot something at me, causing everything to fade to black around me.


	23. The Light

Only one more chapter to go after this one! Thanks again for all the support! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **Only Paige is mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

* * *

_"NO!" I cried just as Paige fell unconscious. Before we could stop Kor, he was already grabbing her body and taking off into the sky. _

_ "Crap!" Daxter hissed, "He's got her!" _

_ Suddenly, we heard Praxis groan from the corner. We ran over to him and wondered how on earth he survived the blast from before. _

_ "You…are the supreme weapon, Jak," he coughed weakly as we moved some rubble away from him, "And I made you. Still, any leader worth his salt always has his backup plan." He pushed a button, which revealed a device that held the Precursor Stone. _

_ "Remember," Praxis told us, "The first rule in making a bomb…is to always make…two." At these words, his body went lifeless. We bowed our heads for a second. What was Ashelin going to say about this? Was Baron Praxis as evil as we thought? He still pumped me full of Dark Eco, so I wasn't sure. Nope. He still wasn't a good guy, considering how many times he had tried to kill me. _

_ I glanced over at the second Piercer Bomb as Daxter said, "Okay, I'm going in." He squeezed underneath the Precursor Stone and began trying to disable it. _

_ "Man, what a mess of junk in here! All jumbled coils and switches! Should I unhook the blue wire? Wait a minute, are ottsels colorblind? Let me just break a few more things and see if anything pops loose." _

_ Suddenly, the Stone flew into the air and I caught it as Daxter exclaimed, "Boom! Ha! Ha! Gotcha! Like candy from a baby!" He leaped down and took his place again on my shoulder. _

_ "So, now what, buddy?" he asked as we reentered the city. _

_ "We get to that Metal Head Nest and break the barrier, that's what!" I responded, "And get Paige back! We have to stop Kor!" Daxter nodded and held on tight as I began riding on the jet board. We arrived at the Port and continued to dodge Metal Heads as we skimmed across the water and caught the Air Train in time. We rode in silence all the way out to the Nest. _

_ Once we arrived, I took out my Vulcan Fury and whispered, "Let's go." _

_ The two of us proceeded to infiltrate the Nest, slaughtering all Metal Heads that got in our way as we hit switches to open new passageways. Along the way, we wondered why Kor was so hell bent on getting that Precursor Stone and what was happening to Paige. _

_ "She's okay, Jak," Daxter assured me, "She's tougher now. She'll be fine." I nodded to him and thought about how much Paige had changed from when we first met. It looked like I had managed to yell some sense into her. _

_ A little while later, we arrived at the weapon Sig was talking about before…before his incident. _

_ "_There isn't much hope now_," Ashelin told us from the other end of the pager, "_With the Shield Wall destroyed, it's just a matter of time before the Metal Heads overwhelm us. You should just go through the rift back to your own time, Jak, and get away from this horrible place._" _

_ "I see your point," Daxter agreed, "Come on, Jak!" But he turned and noticed that I was inserting the Precursor Stone into the gun. _

_ "This place is worth fighting for!" I grunted. It was true; this city had somehow grown on me after all this time. _

_ "_We'll hold out as long as we can_," Ashelin decided, "_Farewell_." The pager switched off. _

_ "Hmm," I said with a smirk on my face, "Precursor Stone, Gun, Nest!" _

_ "Light 'er up, padre!" Daxter piped up as I grinned and laughed evilly. _

_ "Eat this!" I quipped as we blasted our way through the nest and made a clearing. _

_ "That ought to wake them up!" Dax announced to me. _

_ "Let's go take care of business!" _

_ "What? You mean go in there? Ahh, I'm right behind you!" We continued making our way through the Nest, hoping we would find Kor and Paige soon. _

* * *

Far away, deep inside the Metal Head Nest, I felt myself slowly wake up after being knocked out for hours. I grunted and opened my eyes to see a bunch of Metal Head eggs around me, as well as a large, purple Rift Ring in the corner. "Where am I?" I asked out loud as I struggled to sit up, "This must be the Metal Head Nest." _And there's the missing Rift Ring in the corner, _I added as a silent afterthought.

Suddenly, I felt a throbbing pain in my forehead, and I clutched my head for a minute. "Ow," I mumbled. I stood up and looked around as I spotted something in the corner: a young boy encased in a bubble and unconscious. _The Kid! _I thought, _So this is where you've been this whole time!_ I immediately ran over to him and tried to wake him up.

"Kid!" I cried, "Hey, Kid! Wake up!" The young boy didn't move.

"Come on, Kid! We've got to get out of here!" There was still no response. Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming attachment to this child that I had never felt before, which made me think about the mission from the Precursors, as well as the way Kor had told me not to worry about the Kid. In that moment, as I continued to feel this strong, familiar attachment, I realized what my mission was. I deactivated the bubble by pulling on a switch in the corner, which woke the Kid up instantly. He looked up at me and gasped.

"Don't worry, I'm here to save you!" I assured him, "Let's find a way out of here." The Kid relaxed as he took my hand, which further attached me to him. We began running towards the nearest ledge, and once we needed to start climbing, I let the Kid go first, and then I followed suit. What was happening to Jak and Daxter right now? And Haven City in general? I hoped everyone was all right.

We were almost there when something leaped in front of us. "Kor!" I cried angrily, backing up and putting myself between the Kid and the Metal Head Leader.

Kor grinned and replied, "So you finally woke up. I was wondering if I had actually killed you." He blew both me and the Kid back with great force, which made us tumble on the ground right next to the gaping hole in the middle of the floor.

"Get back to where you belong, Kid!" Kor shrieked, sending the boy back into the bubble, where he fell into a slumber once more. _Damn it, _I thought, closing my eyes in frustration for a minute. I was failing at completing this mission for the Precursors. Big time.

"Do whatever you want to me!" I snapped in a strained voice, "But don't you dare touch that child!"

Metal Kor laughed. "So brave, yet so naïve," he commented, "The same as you were two years ago."

"Were you spying on me while I was working for Praxis and Erol?" I asked harshly.

"I told you. I've been around the city. I knew about everything."

"Stalker…" I hissed low enough so that he wouldn't hear me.

"You seemed surprised when I revealed myself before," Kor commented, "Were you just putting on an act of distrusting me, then?"

"No," I growled, "That was all real. I just didn't expect you to turn out to be a Metal Head. Some revelation, huh? No wonder the crocadog hates you." I took a deep breath. I was nervous as hell, but I wouldn't let him see it. I had to stay strong. For myself and the Kid.

"You seem different than all the other Metal Heads," I continued as I sat down in front of Kor and crossed my legs, "More intelligent. How'd you learn how to speak and disguise yourself? You went through a lot to hide what you really are."

"Very few of my kind are capable of speech and transformation," Kor explained, "It has to be acquired. But enough about me. Let's talk about you."

"I'd rather not," I answered.

"I would. You never liked me from the start."

"Damn right I didn't!" I snapped, "So about all that killing and devouring you supposedly witnessed…did you take part in it? Is that how you remember it so well?" I didn't want to know, but I was curious at the same time.

"That's how we survive," the Metal Head Leader told me, and I felt sick to the stomach.

"That's sick," I groaned.

"That's the way of the world. You're still young, Paige. You have no idea how the world works. When we first met, I knew there was something different about you. You seemed sheltered. Uninformed. I was surprised you didn't buy my act because of that. I thought you, out of all people, would fall for it."

"I'm not _that _naïve," I retorted, "Maybe I was when I first got here, but I know a thing or two just like everyone else. Besides, red flags went up instantly when you introduced yourself. I don't even know where they came from, but they were there."

"I couldn't risk having you try to rat me out to the Shadow. I had hoped the Metal Heads in Haven Forest would finish you off."

"If you hadn't gone and tripped me, nobody would have suspected you."

"If you hadn't come back alive, nobody would have been the wiser."

"Too bad for you, eh, Kor?" I asked, smirking, "Besides, that's where you're wrong. They would have been _more _suspicious if I had died. Looks like you dug a hole for yourself."

"That ends here," Kor declared as he raised his head up and began to shoot more Dark Eco at me. _Shit, _I thought, rolling out of the way as I grabbed my Vulcan Fury. Every time he shot at me, I ducked my head and ran for it. Survival was the only thing on my mind in that moment. _Where are you, Jak? _I asked myself, _And Daxter?_

"So what about your special mission from the Precursors?" he asked in a taunting manner.

"How the hell do you know about that?" I demanded, shooting the Vulcan Fury a few times.

"I've been around. I've heard things. Onin said you were one to watch. Ever since you showed up and began trying to watch over Jak."

"I've figured it out already, just to let you know. Did you know what it was this whole time? Is that why you told me not to worry about the Kid?"

"I was trying to throw you off," the Metal Head Leader said as he continued to shoot at me while I ran, "It's a shame it didn't work, though."

"What are you going to do to the Kid?" I shouted.

"You'll see. You all will." I raised the Vulcan Fury again, and as I shot a few more bullets, I suddenly felt Kor grab me and lift me up into the air.

"Let me go!" I snapped, kicking and struggling the whole time. If he was going to kill me, I wasn't going to go down without a fight. I was not the naïve girl he first met anymore. I had changed.

Suddenly, a new voice rang out over the din. "Drop her!" it growled.

Both Kor and I turned and saw Jak and Daxter standing on the ledge, Jak holding the Precursor Stone. "Jak!" I cried with relief. _Finally, _I thought. Kor grinned, but still didn't let go of me.

"Finally, you've decided to join us!" he remarked, "And you've brought the Precursor Stone! Good. The boy will now play his final part."

"Don't give it to him, Jak!" I yelped as Kor squeezed me even tighter. I could barely breathe as I continued to struggle.

"Not this time!" Jak roared with anger.

Kor chuckled. "Oh, but this child is such a part of this! Such a part of you! Don't you recognize him? The boy is _you_, Jak!" Jak, Daxter, and I all gasped at this revelation, and I realized that was why I had felt so attached to the Kid, as well as why the crocadog hadn't snapped at Jak. _No way, _I thought.

"And this place," Kor continued, "This is where you began…in the future!"

Jak blinked in confusion and was at a loss for what to say. "But…how?" he stammered.

"You were hidden in the past on the hope that you would gain the skills to face me today. But Onin was wrong. Now that you've been altered with Dark Eco, the Stone will never open for you! Your younger self, however, still has the pure gift. He alone can awaken the Stone, and the Precursor entity which sleeps inside."

Jak seemed to contemplate the Stone as he looked down at it. "This Stone is a Precursor?" he asked.

"The last Precursor egg! Mar was clever; he covered his tracks well through time, hiding the last egg from me, and building the shield and city to defend it. It has been a long siege, but today, I will finally feed on the last Precursor life force!"

"Ahh, I think you're forgetting one little thing, Metal-o-Maniac!" Daxter snarled, "_We've _got the Precursor Stone!"

"Not for long!" Kor raised his head and blasted the ledge Jak and Daxter were standing on.

"No!" I cried as I watched my friends fall and drop the Precursor stone. Kor smirked as he saw the ledge crumble and fall into large pieces. I was about to cuss him out, but thought better of it when I saw a claw pop out of the debris. I watched breathlessly as Jak and Daxter emerged from the rubble, Jak shining with Dark Eco and in his angered state.

"DIE!" Kor boomed, throwing me to the ground and getting ready for battle. I quickly ran, grabbed my Vulcan Fury once again, and went to join Jak.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked as Dark Jak faced me. Just like on that mission back in Haven Forest with the Metal Heads, Dark Jak didn't seem as scary as he used to be. _This is the being I helped to create, _I reminded myself as I felt a minor panic attack start to form, _Don't be afraid._

Right after that, Kor readied a bullet of Dark Eco and shot at us. Jak and I dodged out of the way, and as Jak began taking out the Metal Heads around them with his powers, I took out the Vulcan Fury again and began to use it, though I realized I would have to find a way to conserve this ammo.

Jak suddenly reverted to his normal self, whipped out his Blaster Gun, and began spinning around while shooting the Metal Heads, using the "Wastelander Move", as Sig had called it. _Sig, _I thought sadly for a minute. "Jak, don't worry about the Metal Heads!" I told him, "I'll cover for you! You just get to Kor!"

"Okay!" Jak shouted as he began aiming for Kor. While he did that, I ran around and took care of the Metal Heads that were constantly hatching from eggs and trying to attack us. Both of us took a considerable amount of damage during the fight, but were feeling pumped when we saw that Kor was getting weaker by the minute. He didn't look too happy about that.

Suddenly, we noticed that more Metal Heads were appearing out of the pit Kor was hanging over, and they saw that they were flying. "Look!" Daxter cried. We turned to see these very Metal Heads.

"So what happened to you while you were stuck here?" Jak whispered as we rested for a second and reloaded our guns while avoiding more Metal Heads.

"We were talking," I explained, "And then he tried to kill me, but I fought back against him. He was just about to finish me off when you arrived."

From where he was hanging, Kor laughed evilly, blasted at all three of us twice, and commanded the Metal Heads to attack us. I pumped the Metal Heads full of lead and soon saw that Jak was next to me.

"Here, I'll help you take these guys out," Jak volunteered with a smirk on his face, "Maybe some of the stray bullets will hit Kor."

"I hope so," I replied, "Because he looks really pissed now." We both glanced over our shoulders and saw that Kor was snarling and glaring at us. He continued to try to blast us, but all three of us were too fast for him; we dodged every single one of his attacks, even though we took damage from the swarms of flying Metal Heads.

Suddenly, Kor groaned again, even louder this time, and unhooked himself from the ceiling of the nest. He crashed to the ground, got up on his spider-like legs, and turned to face us.

"Shit, now he's coming for us personally!" I shouted, "Run!" And with that, we fell all over ourselves and ran around in circles while Kor gave and attempted to blast us, this time attempting for three hits in a row. Suddenly, I felt one of his blasts hit me in the back, and I fell.

"Crap!" Daxter yelled, "Jak, he got her!"

"Come on, Paige!" Jak screamed at me, "He's getting closer to you! Get up!" I struggled, but managed to pick myself up and keep going for a short distance, even though my back hurt like hell.

"Look out!" Daxter screeched as Kor raised a claw and swiped at the demolition duo.

I continued to run until I fell once again, so I used all my strength to flip myself onto my back. I backed away from Kor, drew out my Eco Pistol this time, and began to shoot him in self-defense. As I was reloading, Kor grabbed me and tossed me aside. "I'll deal with you later!" he said to me darkly as I collapsed to the ground, "Right now, I have to get that Stone, even if I have to _crush _all of you to get it!" He blasted at Jak and Daxter and made his mark; both of them collapsed to the ground as well. Jak coughed, clutched his stomach, and struggled to stand up as Kor approached him.

"Finally, the Stone will be mine!" he exclaimed, "And none of you will be able to stop me! I'll destroy all of you and then the city! One by one!" Jak bared his teeth, stood up, and transformed again. He raced towards Kor and began swiping at him with a new ferocious attitude. He even used some of the other powers the Oracle had given him during his adventure.

From behind Metal Kor, I stood up again as I still felt a lot of pain, but I would deal with it later. Right now, I had to help my friends. So what if I wasn't able to fulfill my mission for the Precursors? I would have to have a word with them about that.

"Jak!" I shouted, and I ran around to join him and Daxter as the two of them continued to attack the Metal Head Leader. Jak smirked as we worked together to bring the Metal Head leader down.

* * *

After a few more shots from Jak's Blaster Gun, Kor finally backed off, realizing that he was outnumbered.

"Owned!" I shouted at him, and we watched as Kor tried to make a run for it by going through the Rift Ring, but he misjudged himself. With a _thud_, he crashed into the ring and decapitated himself.

"Eww," I hissed, looking away as the head fell next to the Kid-Young Jak, who had finally woken up.

"Kid!" I cried, and all three of us ran over to him as he covered his eyes for a minute to block out the image of Kor's head right next to him. Young Jak cautiously approached the Precursor Stone next to him and gently touched it, revealing a Precursor that forced its way out of the egg.

"Oh, man, a Precursor," Jak mused.

"**It is finished,**_**"**_ the Precursor announced, "**Our ancient enemy is no more. Take hope, brave one! The terrible darkness inside you is now balanced by a glorious light! We will meet again." **The deity then turned to face me.

"**You have done well,**" it said to me next, "**You have learned to let go of unwanted connections, and you have helped the hero this whole time.**"

My mouth dropped open in shock. "You mean…I already completed my mission?" I asked while Jak raised an eyebrow at me.

"**You completed it through your own actions. It didn't matter what age you helped, but you did.** **Take care."** And with that, the Precursor flew away into the Rift Ring.

"Wow," I whispered to myself.

"What mission, toots?" Daxter asked, and I realized I had never told them about that.

Before I could explain myself, we spotted Keira and both Samoses as they flew into the Nest on a balloon. Where had they gotten that from? "Brutter gave us a balloon," Jak whispered to me as if he knew what I was thinking.

"We haven't much time," Keira announced, "I've set the coordinates back to our village. Let's go home, everyone." Everyone except for me.

"But we _are _home," Jak said to her.

"Keira," the older Samos said to her, "I'm afraid your Rift Rider must be used to send young Jak here to a place where he will grow up safe from harm. He must become old enough to complete the destiny he has fulfilled today." While he said that, I watched as Young Jak played with some of the birds that had flown off of Samos' log, and I had to grin to myself. Jak helped to place him on the platform next to young Samos.

"Wait a minute!" young Samos cried, "It's you! I mean... it's me! I have to take him back and watch over him, don't I? Ah, grub roots! Talk about being in the wrong time at the right place!" All this time stuff was starting to get to my head now.

"Hey, kid," Jak began, approaching his younger self, "Take care. Oh, and trust me on this." He knelt down.

"Stay away from any wumpbee nests on your ninth birthday, okay?" Young Jak nodded as I raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"What happened with a wumpbee nest on your ninth birthday?" I asked.

"We'll tell you later," Keira assured me, grinning, "I sure hope I built this replica right. I don't know if it-"

"It's perfect, Keira," Samos quipped, "This is the very machine we found... or will find later."

Keira seemed surprised at this. "What?" she gasped, "I just built this. After seeing the first one, I mean. It's based on what I remember from-"

"Honey," Daxter interrupted her, "The more you think about it, the more it hurts the head!"

Suddenly, the Rift Rider began to hover into the air after both young Samos and young Jak climbed into it. Young Jak leaned over the edge and waved to us, and I waved back. "I'll take good care of the child!" young Samos told us, "And don't worry... I'll be back in time for the celebration! Farewell!"

And with that, the two of them were gone as the Rift Rider began to dismantle itself.

"Thanks, Samos," Jak thanked his caretaker, "Without you…"

"It's funny," Samos mused, "The boy won't remember any of this."

"No," Jak agreed, "But I do remember the light."

And with that, we all just stared at the spot where the Rift Ring used to be. Now that the adventure was over, what would happen to me?


	24. The Return and Promises

All right! Final chapter of "Living in Sin" is here! I'd like to take this time to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, alerted, and favorited this story! Really, thank you! When I first published this, I didn't think a lot of people would read it, but I appreciate all the support! Before anybody asks, yes, there will be a sequel, but probably not for a few days or maybe even a week, depending on if I end up being really busy. Rest assured that there will be a sequel if you liked this one! Thanks again! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **Only my OCs are mine. Everything else belongs to Naughty Dog.

* * *

_**The next night…**_

"Where are we going?" I asked David and Eileen as they led me down the street in the Port.

"You'll see," Eileen replied, grinning to herself, and David chuckled into his hand.

I held my breath as we continued walking, and as soon as we stopped, David pointed and reported, "We're here!"

I glanced up at where the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon had been, only it was completely made over. There was now a robot in the shape of an ottsel on top, and flashing lights surrounded it. "Wow," I gasped, "Is this the Hip Hog?"

"Not anymore," Eileen announced just as Daxter leaped down in front of us. He was grinning from ear to ear and holding his paws in the air.

"Welcome to the Naughty Ottsel!" he began, "The hippest, happenest, happiest joint in town!"

"The Naughty Ottsel, huh?" I echoed as we entered the completely redecorated saloon, "This is awesome!"

The Hip Hog-no, Naughty Ottsel now, was already much more packed than the original Hip Hog had been. Keira, Samos, Jak, Pecker, the crocadog, Onin, and Tess were already there. Many of them already had drinks in their hands, and I felt Daxter pass each of us a cranberry vodka.

"You made it!" Keira cried, smiling at the three of us as we walked in.

"You know we wouldn't miss this party for the world," I replied, sitting down in the middle of all of them and sipping at my drink.

"Check out the new décor!" Daxter said to Tess excitedly, and she looked up and widened her eyes.

"Ooo!" she squealed, "What a big trophy."

"As if size matters? I bagged that bad boy myself!"

"Onin says she doesn't know who has a bigger head," Pecker translated for the soothsayer, "Him or you!"

I followed both of their gazes to see Kor's head displayed on the wall, and I almost spit out my drink in surprise. "You put that bastard's head on the wall?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"I had to let everyone know I won!" Daxter replied proudly. I laughed and swallowed a little more of my drink.

Suddenly, Samos put his glass down and stepped into the middle of the room. "We must not forget Vin," he declared, "And all the others who sacrificed their lives to defeat this evil and protect the child." We all bowed our heads for a second, and flashbacks to watching Vin die right in front of me and David played themselves in my mind. _Vin,_ I thought, _And Sig._

"I still can't believe…that little boy was me," Jak said as he stared down at the amulet in his hands, "Better times, huh?" I glanced down at my lap and thought about the mission from the Precursors. I knew that by completing it, I would be able to get home, but now…I wasn't sure if I wanted to leave. I sighed and drank a little more to get it off my mind. I was going to have fun tonight, not let this get me down.

"You miss him, huh?" Keira began from next to him, "You know, the kid grows up to be a handsome hero!" She poked him on the nose, and then the two of them began to lean in to kiss. I was about to start cheering them on when Daxter suddenly interrupted.

"That's enough for you, lady!" the ottsel yelled, pulling our attention away from Jak and Keira, "I'm cutting you off!" She raised her finger and zapped him to the other side of the counter. _Precursors, _I thought to myself, _How much did she have to drink?_

"Trust me," Pecker said to him, "She gets real mean when she's like this." Onin began waving her hands drunkenly in the air.

"What'd she say?" Daxter asked.

"Something about rubber tubing and certain parts of your mother! You don't wanna know!"

Suddenly, the entrance to the bar opened. "AHH!" Daxter screamed, "A Metal Head!"

We all tensed up and turned around…only to see Sig in all his Wasteland glory. "_Sig!_" we all cried happily.

"I knew that," Daxter added quietly.

"Sure you did," David teased.

"You're okay!" Jak exclaimed to Sig.

"You cherries didn't think some nasty breath, giant sized lizard was gonna keep me from the biggest party in town did ya?" Sig replied. I wondered how the hell he got away from that Metal Head.

"I knew you were too tough for 'em, big guy," Daxter chirped.

"Now that you're here," Eileen began, passing a drink to Sig, "Let's party!"

* * *

The party lasted for hours, and we all just cast aside the war as we continued to drink, play loud music, and talk to each other. There would be time to start cleaning up another day.

Sig eventually told us how he had managed to get away from the Metal Head: by charging up the Peacemaker to its full potential and using that to get rid of it. After the two of them had fallen, the Metal Head had apparently created a hole in the wall big enough for Sig to escape after taking it down. He had made his way through the rest of the Underport before resurfacing back in the Port, and that was how he had made it back to us safely. _If only Vin had been as lucky, _I thought at one point, feeling tears prick my eyes, but I fisted them away quickly.

At another point later on in the night, I noticed that Sig, Samos, Pecker, the crocadog, and Jak stepped outside. Setting my drink down, I got up to follow them, and I stood in the doorway behind all of them as I listened to their words.

"You saved the city and more, my boy," Samos said to Jak, "Metal Kor and his menace are history, and somewhere out there, an ancient race has begun again."

"I'm just glad to be back home," Jak replied, and I sighed.

"Yeah? Well, rest up. We've got a lot to do and so much time to do it in!"

"_Don't _say time! The Rift Ring was destroyed, remember?"

"You know," Sig piped up from next to Jak, "My momma used to read bedtime stories about Mar when she'd tuck me in. She'd give me a nice glass of warm yakkow milk... and my little Poopsy bear." I started giggling from where I was.

"Bedtime stories?" Daxter echoed, "Warm milk? _Poopsy bear?_ Buddy, ya just blew ya image!" Pecker and the crocadog cracked up, and I went from giggling to full out laughing, which caused all of them to turn around and stare at me. _Damn it, _I thought, _I just gave away my position_!

"Uhh, sorry," I apologized, feeling my cheeks turn red in embarrassment, "I'll just go back inside." I turned to go when Jak stopped me.

"No," he said, "You should join us. We have to ask you something afterwards anyway." Taking a deep breath, I went outside to stand next to Sig.

"I've got a feeling we'll meet Mar someday," Samos sighed as we all glanced up at the sky, "He might be closer than you think." That gave me the chills.

"You're the designated driver," Sig announced to Jak, handing him Mar's Ruby Key they had found in the Sewers.

"Oh no... I am done with adventures," the renegade decided, "Besides, you'll tell us before something happens next time, right, Samos?" Samos suddenly began whistling innocently as he clamped his hands behind his back. _Oh, boy, _I thought.

"_Right, Samos_?" Jak repeated, growling a little bit.

"_Arrk_!" Pecker squawked, "You never know what the future may hold."

"Wait!" Daxter screeched, "You know something, don't ya, feather breath?"

"Who? Me? Ah... no... We're just, ah... guessing, right, Samos? Today... tomorrow... Only time will tell!" I chuckled into my hand again.

"No, you're gonna tell _right now_! AHHHH!" And with that, Daxter leaped off of Jak's shoulder and began fighting with Pecker.

"Ahh, the two of them," I sighed, "Their rivalry never gets old." We watched as they fought for a few minutes before Sig finally picked them both up and separated them.

"Jak, my boy!" Samos cried, gesturing to the sky, "The future awaits!" With that, fireworks began to light up the sky, and we all just stared up at the display in awe.

"What mission was that Precursor talking about?" Jak suddenly asked a few minutes later, facing me.

I sighed. There was no way around it now. "While I was unconscious after Kor tripped me," I explained, "I had a dream where a Precursor visited me and gave me a mission. It said that I had to complete it if I wanted to find a way home."

"What was it?"

"To help the Kid-well, you. I realized what it was when I was stuck in the Metal Head Nest, though I had a feeling it had something to do with your younger self. I think the Precursors were trying to get me to figure out why he was so important, and I also think they were trying to get me to loosen up a little bit." I chuckled and shook my head.

"Looks like it worked for the most part," I added.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Jak asked, "You should have said something."

"I know," I replied, "I'm sorry I didn't mention it earlier. I guess there was so much going on that it slipped my mind."

"So you're leaving Haven City, then?" Samos asked, looking up at me.

"I guess so," I admitted, "But I want to say goodbye to everyone before I go." And with that, I hugged Jak tightly and didn't let go for a few minutes.

* * *

_** The next morning…**_

_Ugh, _I thought as I woke up, _I feel terrible. _

Last night hadn't been easy for me. I had to go back in and say goodbye to everyone, as well as tell them what my mission had been. Nobody seemed to take it well at first, but I assured them that I would be back someday, which I realized was true. I hoped to come back here.

When I got dressed, I managed to find the clothes I had worn when I first got dropped into the game, and when I went back to the Naughty Ottsel, I spotted something on the floor that I hadn't noticed the previous night during the party: my flower hair clip that Erol had crushed in one of his many threats to kill me. I was surprised nobody had picked it up after all this time. I took it into my hand, studied it, and reluctantly shoved it back into my hair.

Once I arrived in Haven Forest, where I had first woken up, I walked to the place where I had first woken up and laid down on the cool grass, but when I tried to open my eyes again…I couldn't. I became afraid for a minute as I felt myself get pulled down further into the darkness.

"**Paige,**" that regal voice announced, "**You're going home.** **Open your eyes, young one. Open your eyes.**"

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes again, and the sight around me shocked me: I was back in my bedroom! My clothes and flower hair clip looked untouched, and the game in front of me was still on the starting menu! _Did any time pass at all while I was gone? _I asked myself as I sat up and blinked a few times to make sure everything was the way it should be. To my relief, it was.

Powering the game down, I took the disk out of my game console and studied the front cover again. I remembered thinking that Jak was a troublemaker just from the gun he was holding on the front cover, but I realized he was just a boy fighting for his freedom. He was also one of my best friends besides Anna. _Anna! _I suddenly remembered, _I'm supposed to call her! But first…_

Holding the game in my hand, I opened my bedroom door and skipped down the stairs to find my sisters sitting sullenly in the living room. "Tracy!" I cried, "Alana!"

Both of them turned around to face me, and I remembered the argument we had had before my adventure started. "Hey, Paige," Tracy greeted sullenly, "Have you decided which one of us gets the game?" Alana looked up in anticipation.

"Why don't we all play it together?" I asked, "We'll have fun with it. As sisters."

Both of them seemed shocked at this. "_Paige _wants to have fun with _us_?" Alana questioned, "Where'd this come from?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I replied, "I'm sorry if I've seemed like I'm trying to be Mom and Dad. I'm not. I was just trying to be more responsible, but now I see that it's okay to have a little fun every now and then."

At this, my sisters grinned. "You really mean that?" Tracy asked.

I nodded. "I do," I said, "Things are going to be different around here. Less uptight. I thought about all of this while I was…playing _Jak II._"

"We're sorry we snapped at you, too," Alana apologized, and both of them moved closer to me and hugged me. I held them for a minute, and I was glad to be home, even though I missed Haven City and everyone there.

"Before we have some fun," I began, "I have a call to make. I'll be right back."

"Okay!" my sisters chirped, "We'll put _Jak II _in and we can play it!" I knew I wasn't going to get pulled back into the game after just getting back, since I had technically "beaten" it.

Shrugging off my sweater, I ran back upstairs, grabbed my cell phone, and dialed Anna's number. It rang a few times before she finally picked up. "Hello?" she asked.

"Hey, Anna!" I greeted happily.

"Hi, Paige!" my friend replied excitedly, "What's up?"

"I'm calling back about that party you invited me to earlier today," I reported, "I want to go with you guys!"

On the other end of the line, Anna was floored. "Oh my God!" she petitioned, "_Paige Smith _wants to come to a party where there will be drinking?"

I had to chuckle to myself. "It can't hurt to get out a little bit and have some fun while we're young, you know?"

"Yeah! I just can't believe what I'm hearing right now! What brought this on?"

"A _lot _of self-reflection," I half-lied, "I've pretty much been in my room all day thinking about it. Anna, you'll be looking at a new and improved Paige Smith."

"This is great! Really, Paige! I'm glad we finally got through to you! This is gonna be kickass! I can't wait to see you this weekend!"

"I can't wait to be there!" I cried enthusiastically, hanging up the phone and lying back on my bed for a minute.

"Paige!" my sisters yelled from downstairs, "Are you coming?"

My eyes snapped open again and I remembered Tracy and Alana. "Here I come!" I shouted, running downstairs, but not before passing by Tracy's room and catching a blown-up poster of Jak.

"Thanks, Jak," I whispered before taking off once more.

* * *

_**Jak and Daxter world: Six months later…**_

_Boots clicked down the hallway as a man dressed in a suit and cape exited Praxis Palace. In one hand, he carried a staff, and in the other, a sealed envelope. He held the envelope close to his side; he didn't want anyone seeing the contents inside. _

_ Other members of Haven City's Grand Council stopped to nod at him as he walked out. "Good morning, Count Veger," some of them greeted, and Count Veger nodded silently in response. _

_ Fortunately for him, the meeting place wasn't too far away, and once he entered the dimly lit house, he shut the door behind him. "Ahh," he began in his usual snobby tone of voice, "Looks like you need me after all." The one he was talking to didn't respond. In fact, Veger couldn't see a face at all. _

_ "I thought you'd want to see these," the count continued, "Since you asked." He opened the envelope to reveal two pictures. A gloved hand reached for one of the photographs, which was of a blond boy with a Morph Gun in his hands and an ottsel on his shoulder. Jak. _

_ Raising both gloved hands, Veger's guest ripped the picture in half and tossed it aside. The Count couldn't help but laugh nervously. There was so much hatred being taken out on the photo. _

_ "Well, then," he piped up, "You're not going to like the next picture." He pushed the second one across the table. This time, it was of a girl with a flower hair clip. As the Chairman of the Grand Council, Veger knew who she was, but they had never directly spoken to each other. The gloved hands reached for this picture of Paige Smith, and after studying it for a minute, Paige's portrait was a goner as well, as it was ripped to pieces just as angrily as Jak's had been. _

_ "Yes," Veger agreed, "They will both pay for what they've done." _

_ The figure sitting down gathered up all the remaining fragments of Jak and Paige's pictures, tossed them into the fireplace next to the Count, and lit them on fire. For the next few minutes, there was only silence as both Jak and Paige's faces became consumed by the flames. _

_ Yes, indeed. He was going to get them both. _


End file.
